Strangers in a Strange Land
by TheDustyScrub
Summary: Soldiers from another world find themselves stranded in Remnant. Outnumbered by an overwhelming enemy, a young soldier and his fellow soldiers of the Royal Canadian Regiment engage in a desperate battle for survival while searching for a way home. (Rated T for violence and language, rating may change).
1. Anomaly

_A/N: Hi there, thanks for clicking on this! Before we get started, I want to send a big thank you and shout out to Starwarsmast3r for originally beta reading, then joining the writing process for this story. He's taken the helm (pun intended) on the Navy portions while I'm focusing on the Infantry portions. I've been working on it for some time now and I hope it's good. This was loosely inspired by the Gears of War 4 "Tomorrow" Trailer. I thought it was an interesting idea to incorporate modern military forces into a world that is so bombastic and overwhelming that it would actually prove to be a challenge to survive for the protagonist faction. But, I leave that up to you, the reader, to decide for yourself. Enjoy!_

* * *

 _Your faith in mankind was not misplaced...When banded together, unified by a common enemy, they are a noticeable threat...But divide them...Place doubt into their minds...and any semblance of power they once had will wash away. Of course they won't realize it at first. Like you, they'll cling to their fleeting hope, their aspirations...But this is merely the first move. So you send your guardians, your huntsmen and huntresses. And when they fail you turn to your smaller soul and your strange soldiers. Know that you send them to the same, pitiful demise. These men will not bring salvation to your people as you believe. They will cause false hope and doubt to spread like an uncontrollable fire. A fire that will consume you all._

 _This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin._

 _And I can't wait, to watch you burn._

 _ **RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land**_

 _Chapter 1: Anomaly_

* * *

 **PACIFIC OCEAN, INTERNATIONAL WATERS  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK, CVN 1000  
** **AUGUST 29th 2017  
** **TIME - 2200**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY  
** **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC  
** **MARPAC  
** **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ**

Her Majesty's Canadian Ship, the Sir Isaac Brock raced through the Pacific, parting the sea as she rushed into battle ahead. Her ship wide speakers blared as Commander William Dietz approached the bridge. As he stepped through, he removed his service hat from his head. He looked to his left noticing his Navigation Officer, and also acting Officer of the Watch, Ashley Beckett at the comms station announcing orders to the crew

"Action stations, Action stations! All hands man your battle stations. The flow of traffic is up and forward on the starboard side, down and aft on the port. Set material condition Zebra- code red throughout the ship. This is not a drill."

Lieutenant Beckett looked to her left after hanging up the microphone. Noticing her Commanding Officer on the deck, she snapped to attention and saluted, commanding the others on the bridge to do the same "Captain on deck!"

Dietz walked past and completed an impromptu salute in the essence of time "Carry on." he replied, moving to the center of the bridge "OOW, you're relieved. Where are we at?"

"We found the target again sir, 5 degrees relative." Beckett replied.

"Show me." Dietz ordered. Beckett showed a navigation console to the Captain that concurred with her earlier report.

"Fire the 46's and come about flank three." Dietz ordered as he sat in his chair, It was a navy blue with the words 'C.O' in gold writing written on the back. His chair was to the right of the bridge, with a seat for his X.O to the left

"Sir, target is still approaching, five degrees off portside bow." Beckett

"Rudder starboard 20 degrees relative, get some distance." Dietz commanded to the helmsman. As the ship yawed starboard, he reached for the white telephone on the console in front of him and dialed the Combat information Center "CIC prepare to mark target and fire on my command, prep the mark 46's for another round."

"Yes sir." the officer responded. Dietz looked down to the console to his right and spun his seat to face it. Something didn't feel right to him.

"Becky, how fast are they going?"

"Target is approaching 30 knots sir." Beckett responded. Dietz knew the Brock would never catch up to them while going a steady 22 knots. Dietz sighed and knew what he had to do.

"We need to catch up, fast!" Dietz picked up the phone again, this time calling engine room where the ship's nuclear reactor engines were kept and maintained. "Bridge to engine room, disable rev limiters and override all engine safeties."

The senior engineer responded "Sir I…"

"Your dissatisfaction is noted Scotty, just do it." The Captain hung up. He felt that something was wrong, his gut was acting up. He knew that overriding safeties was never an option in DND's playbook, they had spent too much money to see a ship this size and this expensive be dead in the water. If or moreover when they found out, he would have some explaining to do.

"Nav, where are they?"

"They're getting out of range sir, another minute and we'll have lost them."

"Fine, helm, give us another 20 degrees starboard, prepare to go quiet one." Quiet one was a difficult order to execute properly. The idea behind such a command is that so long as the enemy is using sonar and radar to track your location and your being as silent as the grave; they can't find you. The problem is that for it to work properly, you can't make any noise. Speed cannot exceed two knots in order to reduce engine vibration, the crew has to stay completely still and remove all footwear to reduce phantom signatures and lights have to be off to reduce visibility.

"Forget quiet one sir." Beckett interrupted "I'm tracking three, now four targets inbound on active sonar. They'll be on us in seconds."

"Nav, sound the alarm. Brace for impact."

"We're not going to fire sir?" Beckett responded

"Nah, we lost fair and square. It was a good try." Dietz said, lying back in his chair, slouching and waiting for the damage report.

"We have detonation sir, aft, just below the engines." Beckett stated to the crew. The crew let out a moan in disappointment.

"Damn, Austin. Good hit. All stop helm and hold. Beckett, take the crew off battle stations, the test is over."

A Seaman approached the Captain from the Communication station on the left-hand side of the bridge "Captain, I have Pennsylvania Actual on the horn, asking for you sir."

"Thank you, seaman, which line?"

"Switchboard says line one sir."

Dietz nodded in thanks to the Seaman and connected to the ship's switchboard, dialing the one extension. A robotic voice answered the phone on the Pennsylvania side.

"You have reached the switchboard for SSBN - 735. According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Subchapter 10, Article 108, misuse of this switchboard is subject to disciplinary action by your commanding officer by use of…" The voice cut off as Dietz already was aware of the extension to the bridge.

"Pennsylvania Bridge."

"HMCS Brock for Captain Austin."

The petty officer chuckled after hearing the caller.

"I'll connect you right away sir."

"I didn't know they let you make collect calls from the grave."

"Solid work Austin, you got us."

"Damn straight I did, right in the reactor too. Say, did you override safeties to get away?"

"Tried, but you just kept diving. We never stood a chance."

"Well, you can't beat pure talent. Now, about that Brandy I won?"

"Will be hand delivered to your stateroom, as promised."

"Very well. I'd say 'race you back to Pearl', but you've overworked your engines enough."

A Seaman darted over to the Captain, interrupting his message.

"Sir, have Vice-Admiral Lloyd for you on E-com, says it's urgent!"

Dietz walked over to the comms station and picked up the bright red phone, nodding to the seamen to give him some room. As the seamen acknowledged and parted from his station, Deitz turned his attention to the pending phone call.

"Vice-Admiral Lloyd, sir, I wasn't expecting to talk to you. Usually, I speak to Rear-Admiral McDonald…"

"Rear-Admiral Mcdonald has been briefed on what I'm about to tell you. As this is top secret, this will need to be private."

"Yes sir, let me take this call in my quarters" Dietz put his commanding officer on hold, hanging up the phone. "Lieutenant Beckett?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Bring the ship back into the green, push half ahead both engines, set revolutions at 2000. You have the deck; I'll be in my quarters" Dietz got up out of his chair and moved towards the exit. The crew snapped to attention and returned to work once the captain was at the door.

"Yes, sir. Helm you heard the captain, ahead half on both, set revs at 2000." Officer Beckett ordered.

"Yes, ma'am, ahead half." The helmsman repeated. He moved both throttles on his console to the number two setting, signifying 2000 revolutions.

The captain took his leave from the bridge, putting on his service cap as he exited the bridge and headed towards his quarters on the port side of the ship. Davie Shipbuilding constructed the Captain's Quarters on the same deck as the rest of the crew instead of on a separate deck for the sake of extra space. Dietz closed his door and took a seat at his desk. He eyed the phone that sat on his desk and grabbed it, lifting the receiver to his ear.

 **1 HOUR LATER**

Dietz decided to take a walk around the fantail when he ran across his XO, lighting a cigar as he leaned upon the railing. As the embers at the end of the roll started to smoke, he placed it in his mouth.

"Smoking's against reg, Mike." Dietz said jokingly, leaning the same way as his second in command. They both looked out as water bubbled up from the propellers. Mike laughed off the subtle attempt at stopping him

"Yeah? Hadn't noticed."

"Back of the ship, no flights tonight. At least you have the decency to hide your insubordination."

Mike laughed, taking another intake of smoke

"You gonna report me to JAG commodore?"

Dietz chuckled as his bluff was called

"I suppose I'll let you off with a warning."

There was another long pause of silence.

"Did I tell you Ciena is leaving me?"

Dietz was taken back by the comment. The Captain was using the left side of his body to lean upon the railing looking at his XO who remained in the same position, taking another whiff of smoke

"Mike, I, don't know what to say."

"She said, I had to choose between her and the Navy. Apparently, she had enough of being a military wife and that she wanted to move back to Calgary."

"And you choose the Navy?"

"You sound disappointed."

"Just surprised, last time our families had dinner together you guys seemed happy."

"That was three years ago; we were still stationed at CFB Halifax at that point. You still had…"

"Neither here nor there Mike. I'm sorry."

"Ah, it's not your fault. Any reason we're not going back to Pearl?"

"Ottawa says our mission has changed."

"Let me guess, Horn of Africa? the Gulf?"

"Esquimalt, with further deployment to Halifax via the Panama Canal."

"Any reason why?"

"There is, but it's too classified to say over the phone. It'll need to be in-person."

'Ah, my least favorite word in the English language."

"What, classified?"

"In-person."

 **PETAWAWA, ONTARIO - CANADA  
** **CANADIAN FORCES BASE – PETAWAWA  
** **SEPTEMBER 16 2017  
** **TIME – 1600  
** **  
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

On a surprisingly hot September day, the column of LAV III transports occupied by the First Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment rocked side to side, traversing the tank tread-ridden training area of CFB Petawawa. Within the cramped, reinforced steel walls of 2-Sections LAV, Private Jack Carver bobbed his head and mouthed the lyrics to the loudly playing Theory of a Deadman.

 _"We like our hair down, volume up, kick like a machine gun, cold beer, stage dive, scream along night! Metal brings us to our knees, mother fuckin' therapy!"_

While the music blasted the ear drums of the soldiers, Jack Carver's fire team partner Jerome Lewis slept on his shoulder, completely exhausted from their field training exercise consisting of sleep deprivation and long engagements with mock opposition force. Being relatively new soldiers to their unit, both men operated at a high level of proficiency to highlight their skills and potential.

Their Section Commander, Master Corporal Farren, viewed in slight awe that the young soldier was still active let alone awake. The kid had an incredibly long and relatively sleepless field exercise and showed little signs of fatigue. He was a toddler on a sugar rush. Either Farren was getting older and more tired, or the younger troops were getting more amped up.

While a typical rifle section in the Canadian Infantry was commanded by a Sergeant, higher ups saw fit to give Farren experience in a leadership position as he would soon be Sergeant.

Private Lewis mumbled and shifted, a mixture of the conversations, Private Carver bobbing and the music waking him.

"Jack…" Lewis groggily muttered. "Sit still…Your arm is a perfect pillow…"

"My bad man." Jack froze in his seat and resorted to lightly tapping his muddy combat boot against the LAV's floor to avoid irritating his fatigued comrade.

"Want a pro tip, Carver?" Farren spoke up from the rear of the vehicle.

"Yes, Master Corporal!" Jack immediately answered.

"Learn to use what little free time you have to rest. Not saying I'm not impressed by your drive, but trust me when I say you'll learn to treasure sleep. Your friend seems to already grasp that concept well." Farren chuckled.

"Uhh, right. Understood, Master Corporal."

Jack loosened his helmet strap and placed the Kevlar helmet in his lap. His light brown hair, soaked with sweat, finally got some air, slightly cooling the soldier down. However, the LAV was far too cramped to remove his body armor and tactical vest. He'd have to remain in the sweat-drenched equipment until they disembarked. He closed his eyes to seemingly adhere to Master Corporal Farren's instructions, even if he wasn't tired at all.

Farren's second in command, Corporal Owens chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Farren asked, a light grin on his face.

"All the new guys are the same. Peppy 'Yes Master Corporal!' types, ya know?"

"To be fair, we were probably the exact same when we were Privates. And at least Carver is a good Soldier from what I've seen."

"Yeah I'll give him that. Motivation isn't lacking. Unfortunately, motivation isn't everything, though."

"You're not wrong about that, Owens." Farren reminisced of his tour in Afghanistan. Training and staying calm under fire was the ultimate test of a Soldier's skill. Farren knew that better than any of the men in his section.

In due time, the column of armored vehicles halted, reaching the Battalion's destination within the large Military installation; the armory. The soldiers would hand in their weaponry before returning to their barracks.

The ramp of the LAV III lowered, allowing Master Corporal Farren and Corporal Owens to disembark and get a count of their soldiers as they exited the vehicle. Their head count was two shy of a full house. Farren raised a brow before peering into the LAV. Carver and Lewis still sat slumped against the steel wall, mouths wide open, out cold.

Farren and Owens looked at each other.

"…Well…At least they took my advice…"

The Master Corporal sighed and re-entered the LAV to retrieve his last two soldiers. He tapped Lewis, the darker skinned Private, on the shoulder, waking him instantly.

The Private looked around curiously, until noticing the Master Corporal standing above him.

"Shit!" Lewis shot up quickly, grabbing his rifle and rucksack before darting out the back of the LAV to join the remainder of his section.

"Carver." Farren tapped Jack on the head.

The young Private's eyes shot wide open immediately. His hands grabbed his helmet and instinctively threw it on his head. In the blink of an eye, the helmet was fastened to Jack's head, and his C7A2 was in his right hand with his rucksack ready by his feet.

"We there yet, Master Corporal?" The now wide awake soldier asked.

Farren looked around at the empty LAV and back to his subordinate. "Uhh, yeah."

Jack just then took the time to observe the empty troop compartment and felt a wave of embarrassment wash over.

"Damn it! Sorry, Master Corporal!"

Jack shot up in a similar fashion to Lewis and attempted to sprint out the back.

"Jack."

The use of his first name by the Master Corporal came as a surprise, causing him to halt and turn, a perplexed expression painted on his face.

"Never say you're sorry. If there's a problem, if you screw up; fix it. Never pass a fault, Soldier."

Private Carver contemplated Farren's advice. "Understood."

"Go on, get in the armory line."

Jack spun on his heel and broke into a dash to join his section in the line.

1 HOUR LATER – 1ST BATTALION BARRACKS

Jack let out a loud sigh as he did up the buttons to a clean CADPAT uniform. He'd finally managed to get a shower, shave and a fresh change of clothes after handing in his rifle to the armory. The Seventeen-year-old soldier looked at himself in the mirror to find any defections in his shave job.

The Canadian soldier had light brown hair which matched his eyes that gazed at him in the mirror. While he did not sport the buzz cut many soldiers in his unit did, Jack usually maintained a short to medium length natural style, trimming it to avoid any hairs resting on his forehead. He stood at six foot one with the Infantry standard fitness build earned through copious amounts of physical training.

As for the young man himself, he was witty, intelligent, funny, generally motivated and confident, however, a little shy upon meeting new individuals, especially if they outranked him.

His eyes trailed down to his combat shirt. They scanned the shirt, attempting to read the name tape that rested on the right side of his chest. The white crossed swords were soon followed by "Carver." In the center of his chest was a single white chevron, symbolizing his rank; Private. Just below it bore his regiment; RCR.

Like his father before him, Jack enlisted at the earliest opportunity into the Regular Force of the Canadian Army, more specifically; the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps. While his father had been a Major in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Jack found himself satisfied with being a non-commissioned member in the Royal Canadian Regiment. One day, though, he'd hope to be a Master Corporal much like Farren.

"Hey, Jack." Jerome stepped into the Barracks, interrupting his train of thought.

Jerome entered clad in a clean uniform as well.

"Hey!" Jack raised two fingers to his brow, forming a mock salute.

"Did Farren chew you out when we got back?" Jerome asked while throwing his dirty combat uniform into his laundry bag.

Jack raised a brow, uncertain of the answer. "I don't think so? Why? Did he chew you out?"

"Nah, the moment I woke up I ran for the hills to avoid it."

"Heh, figures." Jack muttered with a smirk.

"That just means we're screwed in another way. I bet…hmm…fire picket!? Not like we need sleep after all the 'rest' we got on the ride back…" Jerome used exaggerated hand gestures encompassed with the sarcasm in his voice to express his point.

"Don't jinx it. Our luck is terrible enough already!" Jack pointed at his colleague.

Jack took one last glance at himself in the mirror before entering the main room of their Section barracks.

"All I'm saying is; embrace the suck, Carver!"

Carver scoffed as he walked over to the cot where his equipment lay strewn about on the top. He knelt to the ground and opened up the barrack box at the foot of the bed. Jack carefully placed his gear into the crate before locking it away until the time came to wear it again.

 **PETAWAWA, ONTARIO - CANADA  
** **CANADIAN FORCES BASE – PETAWAWA  
** **SEPTEMBER 16 2017  
** **TIME – 1830**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **PLATOON COMMANDER  
** **LT. BRYSON**

"Thanks, Sir! Have a good one."

"Yeah talk to you later, Corporal."

Lieutenant Bryson yawned as he stepped out of the company armory. A long ride back to base after a long training exercise followed by a long wait in the turn-in line had the officer thanking whatever deity there was for finally finishing his day.

"You're looking tired, Sir."

Bryson looked up, seeing his long-time colleague; Master Corporal Farren, still wearing his combat equipment just like the officer. Both men smiled.

"Thought I told you, George. You don't have to call me Sir when it's just us. Seems weird since you were the superior rank before I commissioned."

"Just a habit now, Paul."

They chuckled and began to walk side by side.

"So, how'd the Platoon look as a whole during the exercise? We doin' good?" Farren asked.

"Yeah I'd say we're still up to snuff from what I could see. Being the Platoon commander doesn't always give you the best view of what's going on, that's why I rely on the section commanders to get the job done. How would you say your guys did?"

"Good. Very good." Farren spoke with certainty.

Lieutenant Bryson chuckled and raised a brow. "That it? Any details?"

Farren shrugged. "To be honest, I don't really know what to say. Whatever task came down from you got handled quickly with precision. That's the goal right?"

"Yeah but how are the troops?"

"They work well together. The noobs have pleasantly surprised me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. One in particular; Jack Carver. Young guy reminds me a lot of you actually."

"You don't say?"

"Yeah, he shares your ridiculous eagerness and motivation. Plus, he's a demon with the M203."

"Well, always good to have crack shots I guess. I'll challenge him to a shoot off, see who's the best shot in the platoon." Bryson cockily smirked.

"Yeah…I'm gonna keep an eye on the kid. He's eager like I said, but a part of me thinks he doubts his own capabilities. Might throw some tips and tricks into the mix and see what kind of Soldier he progresses to be. His dad was a Major, so I imagine an ass load of stories and tips have already been shoved down his throat, but it can't hurt to feed him more."

"Yeah you've got a good poi-" Bryson was interrupting by a buzzing in his pocket. "One sec, George." The Lieutenant pulled out his phone to check who was calling. The Company commander.

Bryson pressed talk and put the phone to his ear. "Lieutenant Bryson."

"Bryson, are you still in line handing in weapons?"

"Negative, Sir. Just finished."

"Good. I need you in the meeting hall. Right now."

"Yes, sir. I'll drop off my gear and head down."

"Now, Lieutenant." Urgency lingered in the company commander's voice.

"...Understood, sir. I'll be right there."

Bryson ended the call and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. "Shit..." He muttered.

"I'm assuming you're gonna have to dump your gear, aren't you?"

"Huh, you know the chain so well, George."

Farren sighed. "Give it here, I'll run it back to your quarters."

"Thanks, George. I owe you a beer."

"Owe me more than _a_ beer. But we'll settle with this for now."

 **SEVEN MINUTES LATER**

Bryson approached the entrance to the Headquarters meeting hall, surprised to see two armed guards; two Corporals with loaded C7 Rifles. His brow furrowed. The men stepped in front of the doors, blocking his way. Both men saluted the officer but did not move from their spots.

Bryson came to the position of attention and returned the gesture. Once his hand came back down to his side, he expected the men to move. They did not. Much to the confusion of the Lieutenant.

"Sorry, Sir. Just need to check if you're authorized. Just a precaution." One of the Corporals said.

The soldier pulled out a notepad, letting his weapon hang from its sling. The Corporal viewed Bryson's name tape and rank patch while sifting through the notes.

"Lieutenant Bryson…" He muttered and scanned the pages.

"1st Battalion, Bravo Company, 1st Platoon. That you sir?"

"One and only." Bryson responded, curious as to why these steps were being taken.

Just what the hell was going on?

The Corporal that had been searching the pages stepped out of the way while the other opened one of the doors.

"Go on in, Sir."

Bryson walked in and immediately halted. Dozens of men had already been residing in the room. Some Lieutenants like him, others going as high as Colonels and above. He felt nervous. So many high ranking officers on such a short notice must have made the meeting paramount.

The large rectangular hall bore all Provincial flags along the walls and most importantly; the maple leaf hung above a large, slightly elevated podium, at the rear of the room. Just above the podium hung a projector screen, obviously for presentations. Division flags, unit emblems, and the Army's insignia were located around the room as well.

Bryson eyed around the chamber a little longer until spotting another Lieutenant like himself, one that he knew.

"Bishop!" Bryson jogged over.

Lieutenant Bishop was the Platoon Commander of Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon, just behind Bryson and his men.

"Bryson." The Lieutenant acknowledged, slight nervousness audible in his voice.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Not a goddamn clue…We've got Platoon commanders here, Company commanders, I think the Battalion Commander is down here too. Hell, man, it wouldn't surprise me if the chief of the defence staff was here…Whatever's going on, it's big."

War was the first thing that came to Bryson's mind.

But with who? What the hell started it? No…No everyone would know, and it'd be everywhere in minutes. This isn't war…this is something else.

"GROUP!"

As if on cue, the Officers were called to attention upon the arrival of an even higher ranking individual. The most senior ranking officer amongst the men at attention; a lieutenant colonel, offered a salute to the appearing General. The old looking General halted, saluted, and continued on his way to the podium at the rear of the room.

"Relax. Gentlemen, please take a seat."

The clutter of Officers found any available seat and instantly removed pens and paper from their pockets. Bryson watched attentively as the General approached the podium.

"Good evening, Gentlemen. And thank you for coming." The man started. "My name is General Bailey from Headquarters in Ottawa."

General Bailey observed the crowd of Officers before speaking again.

"Today Gentlemen I'm here to provide you with information and a task…neither of them simple. The information I bring to you today…is…difficult to convey. But I assure you it is quite out of the ordinary."

The General scratched his chin and grabbed a laser pointer from the podium as the projector screen lowered just behind him. Once the display lit up, an image was displayed on the screen; a map of Canada.

Bryson squinted, observing the map he was so familiar with for discrepancies, clues that would assist him in making sense of what was going on. A lone red dot was marked in the Hudson Bay area. Right in the water.

With a sigh, Bailey continued. "On the 28th of August, at 0523 hours, a Naval patrol craft detected a lone signal setting off its radar. The ship was patrolling the Hudson Bay area and moved to investigate whatever it caught on its radar, here."

The laser pointer circled the red dot that Bryson had taken notice of. Far from any landmass, the anomaly was isolated in the large body of water, limiting access to Naval means.

"What that patrol craft found…It's best if I show you. Gentlemen what I am about to show you is classified to the highest degree of Operational Security. What you see does not leave this room. You will be given a guide on how to inform your men, but operational briefs can wait for now."

The display changed.

Whispers of doubt, confusion and genuine fear of the unknown lingered around the room.

"What the hell is that…"

Bryson leaned forward in his seat, wide-eyed. What he and the other Officers saw could only be described as some sort of darkish-red void. A tunnel that was reminiscent of a black hole. After a few more moments of observing the anomaly, Lieutenant Bryson began to jot down notable features of the void as well as a sketch for reference.

"From what the Department of National Defence's research team could hypothesize upon its discovery; the anomaly is some sort of portal. This theory was tested with the use of drones entering and returning from the threshold. Human travel was confirmed by a team of scientists and a security detail being deployed beyond the anomaly on the HMCS Endeavour."

Like many of the men in the room, Bryson was shocked to learn that people had already traversed this seemingly new anomaly. He had to wonder, though, if the DND Research and Development branch was handling it, why was this information being reported to Infantry Company and Platoon Commanders. Surely this was high above their pay grade and security clearance.

"Contact by radio was deemed impossible once the teams had crossed over. From the drone footage we recovered, we know that there is land on the other side. Though much like its location in the Hudson Bay area, the other end is accessible only by Naval ships.

The display finally changed from the anomaly to drone footage. A handful of Enhanced Naval Boarding Party operators accompanied a contingent of scientists on the deck of a ship. The operators had their weapons drawn, observing every direction for possible contact. The actual 'world' looked no different than anywhere else on Earth from a first glance. The ship navigated a body of water, heading towards land in the distance.

"Initially, the operation seemed to pose no threat, however soon after a number of RHIBs departed the main ship and made it to land, weapons discharge soon followed. A lot of it. The drone feed was cut shortly after that."

"The team has not yet returned from the other side. We have every reason to assume they are compromised and are in need of extraction, dead or alive; they're coming back."

"That's where you come in, gentlemen. Division command has been ordered to prepare a response. This is coming straight from the top; the PM and the CDS. It's been decided that we cannot commit the entirety of a Regular Force Regiment to this operation or it would severely deplete our capabilities domestically and abroad. Even with Reserve Force augmentation, we can only deploy one Battalion."

"1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment will be sent beyond the threshold to establish a forward operating base, extract the initial team and repel hostiles, if any."

The briefing hall was quickly deafening. Shouting questions and arguments erupting amongst some of the lower ranking officers.

"Gentlemen, please relax." General Bailey ordered. "We have retasked the Naval ship, HMCS Sir Isaac Brock, to act as support for the Battalion's operation. If all goes as planned, the scientists will be returned safely, and a forward operating base will be constructed within a week. But here's the bad news...you will be deployed in three days. You will be given temporary leave to say goodbye to your families and get a little bit of R&R"

"Jesus. How god damn generous." Bryson muttered, placing a palm on his forehead. A mixture of fear and not wanting to leave his Fiance boiled into pure negativity, like many officers around him. Groans filled the room.

This was unbelievable. While yes, the men trained everyday as it was their job, there had been no work up training for a deployment. That mixed in with having only three days before an actual deployment, into a freakish other worldly portal, made the whole thing stupid ridiculous.

"I understand many of you, if not all of you, see this as unfair and ridiculous, as will your men. But gentlemen know that the men and women beyond that threshold may not have a lot of time. We have to act quickly if we want to save as many lives as possible. You men have a world changing and challenging task ahead of you. I'm sure you will perform admirably. Thank you for your time." The General left the stage abruptly. Just as he did, a few logistical Corporals naturally associated with him began handing out flyers of some sorts. Operational briefs.

That was it?

Bryson's head was spinning, and his ears were ringing. He was about to pull out his phone and call his fiance were it not for a Corporal halting in front of him.

"Sir?" The corporal called, no response from the dazed Lieutenant. "Sir!"

Bryson shook his head and looked up, seeing a Corporal extending her arm, holding one of the brief sheets. He took the sheet and glanced over it. Instructions on what he could and could not say, what his men could or could not say, the charges of treason if they did say anything and what little information they had on the anomaly were all on the sheet.

"Thank y-" When he looked up once again, the Corporal was gone, handing more flyers out. He sighed. Typical. The Infantry was given the task to fulfill.

Lieutenant Paul Bryson reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The officer included all three section commanders and weapons detachment commander in his following text. His men wouldn't be happy. But then again, neither was he.

"Gather your men. We need to talk."

 **TORONTO, ONTARIO - CANADA  
** **CARVER RESIDENCE  
** **SEPTEMBER 17th, 2017  
** **TIME - 1132**

 **1st BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1st PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

"Where are you going?"

"...I uhh...I'm being asked not to say." Jack sighed. He had not been home for ten minutes before playing twenty questions with his worried mother.

"What? Well how long are you going to be gone?!"

"I don't know, mom." Regretfully, this was the truth.

"Well, when are you leaving?!" Understandably, his mother was confused, upset and scared for her sons wellbeing.

"Two days."

"That's ridiculous! Jack you can't-"

"Hon," Jack's father, who had been silent for a majority of the time finally broke his silence. He put a hand on the woman's thigh and continued. "We knew this was a very real possibility when Jack enlisted. He's a young man who can make his own decisions, and well, this result comes with the decision he made."

"You can't be okay with this, Desmond...He's our son!"

"I'm not saying I like it...But we have to accept it."

"Thanks, dad." While he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about leaving his family for an uncertain period of time in uncharted territory, he did appreciate the trust his father had for him.

His father nodded to him, further displaying his respect for the young soldier.

Jack's mother went silent for a few moments. She was not okay with it. However, she wasn't in a position to stop it. So rather than dread and clash about it, she opted to make the best use of their little time.

"...Well I expect you to come home in one piece young man…"

"Yes ma'am." Jack smirked.

"Right." His mother turned away to hide her coming emotions. "I'll get some snacks that you like, Jack. I'll also go get your brother, he'll want to see you before you go…"

"Thanks, mom, you're the best."

Jack had watched her retreat to the safety of the upper floor before he sank into a chair in the living room.

"This isn't some on or reassurance op, is it, kiddo?" Desmond Carver, a former Major in PPCLI had extensive knowledge of the Canadian Forces, superior to that of Master Corporal Farren or anyone that Jack currently served with. So the highly classified nature of Jack's mission came off as suspicious considering his son was not Special Forces.

"No, I don't think so." Jack shrugged and ran his hand through his hair.

"Expecting trouble?" Desmond sat across from his son.

"You know me, dad. Wherever I go, trouble always seems to find me."

Desmond stared into space for a few minutes before speaking again.

"Jack," He looked up. "You're trained for this. Whatever it is you're gonna be doing, I'm confident in your abilities. Not just as your father, but as a soldier."

Jack's eyes trailed up from the carpet to his father.

"Just remember your training. Stick close to your troops and you'll make it."

"I will, dad." Jack nodded.

"Now go on, I bet your brother is gonna want to see you."

Jack pushed himself out of the seat and raised his hand in a mock salute to his father. His father jokingly returned the gesture.

"Oh, one more thing, Jack."

Jack stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"What's up?"

"When you're in the thick of it, when you're tired, when you're hurt...Never take the easy way out. Always do what's right."

Jack pondered the statement, analyzing it deeply. Evidently this was based off an experience his father must have had, which meant it had merit.

"I will, dad."

"I know you will, it's the person you are. Your friends, your brother, your mother, they'll pretend to understand what men like you and I go through and do. But only we know, Jack. You're a part of the special few."

Jack was about to respond before he was cut off.

"Jack!" A high-pitched voice filled the room while little footsteps could be heard stomping down the stairs.

Jack turned to see his younger brother, Alex, barreling down the stairs, coughing the whole way down.

"Heya, Soldier!" He crouched down to match the seven-year-olds height.

The young boy halted in front of the Canadian Soldier and gave the best salute he could muster. In return, Jack stood tall and returned the gesture.

"I've been working on the salute!" The boy gloated before coughing again.

"I can tell! You're looking more and more like a soldier every day, bud. We'll need to get you a uniform soon, wouldn't you agree, mom?" Jack's mother walked in with a bowl of chips and other assorted snacks.

"Yes, of course!" She smiled and placed the bowl down. The moment the dish made contact with the table, Desmond and Alex dug in while Jack fought a frown.

"I'm uhh...Gonna grab a glass of water…" Jack cleared his throat.

Jack walked into the kitchen and fought the urge to raid his parent's liquor cabinet, and down the first bottle he spotted. He sighed and used his better judgment to instead grab a glass and do what he said he'd do; get a drink of water. Jack grabbed the water pitcher from the fridge and shakily poured his glass before resting his hands on the counter.

"Jack? Are you okay?" His mother peered into the kitchen, spotting the soldier hunched over.

"Yeah. I'll be out in a second."

"What's wrong?" She rushed in, putting a hand on her son's shoulder.

"He's getting worse, isn't he?" Jack stared at the wall, his voice dreary.

His mother sighed and rubbed Jack's shoulder. "Chemotherapy isn't working…"

"Damn it…" Jack shook his head.

"He misses you when you're gone, you know. He idolizes you. They're both proud of you. I am too."

Jack found himself gazing at his father, entertaining his sick little brother.

"He's not going to take you leaving again very well."

"If it were my choice I wouldn't be leaving. I'd be here with you guys."

"I know, son. Just…" She hugged him. "Come back alive. We're already going to lose one…"

"You don't know that." Jack tensed up.

"Right." Jack's mom feigned agreeing with him, having come to terms with the possibility a while ago, though it provided no comfort at all. "Come on, let's spend what little time we have with the family."

Jack nodded and followed his mother into the living room again, putting on a smile for his brother.

 **TWO DAYS LATER - CARVER RESIDENCE**

Private Jack Carver stood on his porch, surrounded by his family. His heart was beating, his mind was racing. A mixture of fear and excitement were concocted into an odd slew of thoughts. He was about to embark on an operation into unknown territory with a likely hostile indigenous population. It was no small feat for a soldier his age and skill level or any soldier for that matter.

Minutes passed and soon, a Honda Civic pulled up in front of the Carver residence. A lone man stepped out of the driver's seat. The man was too dressed in a Canadian Forces uniform. He opened the trunk of his vehicle where another duffle bag was already waiting. The soldier approached the family.

"You ready, kid?" Master Corporal Farren asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Master Corporal."

Jack's father stepped forward, extending his hand once noticing the Master Corporals name tape.

"Master Corporal Farren. A pleasure to meet you. I've heard quite a lot about you." The man said with a smile.

Farren clicked his heels together and saluted the man. "And I've heard a lot about you, sir." He then shook his hand. "I have many friends in PPCLI, you're a good man, Major Carver. Your son speaks highly of you as well, sir."

Desmond waved his hands. "Thank you, Master Corporal. But I'm hardly an officer anymore."

"It's a sign of respect, sir. One that you've earned."

"Heh, Jack was right." Desmond put a hand on his son's shoulder. "He will be in good hands."

"Please, bring my son back." Desmond's wife pleaded.

"I'll bring your son back, Ma'am. I promise." The man looked her in the eyes and nodded.

To Farren's surprise, a small bald child emerged between Major Carver and his wife. He ran up and hugged Jack's leg.

"Are you and Jack gonna save the world?" The boy asked, looking up at Farren.

George Farren crouched down and smiled. "You bet we are, kiddo."

The boy's pale face lit up. He looked up to Jack, who was smiling back.

"I don't want to cut it short, Carver. But we've got to get going."

"Right." Jack sighed.

"Here, you do your thing, I'll get your duffle to the car." Farren took the olive drab cargo bag off of Jack's shoulder and marched it down to the Civic before throwing it in the trunk with his own duffle bag.

Jack's father wrapped his arms around his son and pat him on the back.

"Be safe and be strong, Jack." He smiled at him, seeing a lot of himself in his young son.

"You got it, Dad. I'll make you proud."

"You already do. Every single day, my boy. Give em' hell, kid."

The two warriors had embraced for another moment before Jack moved onto his mother. She was already wiping tears from her eyes, similarly to the day Jack had enlisted and embarked on basic military qualification in Quebec.

"Damn it, Jack. You're making me cry, and you haven't even left yet!"

"Sorry, I hear I have that effect on people." Jack shrugged, attempting to lighten the mood.

His mother hit him on the arm with a tear stricken grin. "Smart ass…" She hugged him tight, fearing for her son's safety. "Stay safe, Jack. Come home."

"Always." Jack responded, returning the hug.

Once they had finished, Jack knelt down to meet his little brother face to face. While Alex was young and could not quite comprehend the nature of Jack's mission and a threat to his life, he could tell his big brother and idol would be gone for a while.

"Gonna miss you, Soldier." Jack muttered.

"I'll miss you too, Jack." The boy frowned.

"I've got something for you." Jack's hand went into his cargo pocket, rummaging through a few items until his closed fist returned. He opened his palm in front of his brother, revealing a metal white, gold, and red insignia. The top had a royal crown, below, crossed Lee Enfield rifles and a tri-maple leaf. The Latin word 'Ducimus' were displayed on a golden banner below the rifles. The Latin word Ducimus translated to English as "we lead."

"This is the logo of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps," Jack explained. "Infantry soldiers are the first troops on the ground. We help people, fight the evil people and protect the world."

Alex looked in wonder at the badge.

"You'd wear this on your beret. This would show you belong to the toughest troops in the Canadian Army."

Jack no longer donned the broad Infantry Corps badge and instead wore the Royal Canadian Regiment's cap badge ever since joining the regiment.

"I want you to have this. I kept it around as good luck charm. But only the toughest soldiers get this, and you're way tougher than me." Jack pinned it to Alex's shirt.

Alex was practically bouncing in his shoes with excitement. "Thanks, Jack!"

"You're welcome, Soldier. You keep that on you, okay? It makes you strong."

Alex hugged his older brother. Jack gritted his teeth and wrapped his arms around his little brother, knowing full well there was a possibility this could be the last time they'd ever see each other. Both brothers had a threat of death coming for them, but only Jack could fight his with weaponry.

Master Corporal Farren stood at the car, looking on in genuine admiration for the soldier. He had made the right choice in choosing to mentor the kid.

Jack stood up and began to walk down the path from his porch to Farren's vehicle. He stopped once he opened the passenger door. He turned around, seeing his family wave and yelling goodbyes. He smiled and waved, fighting his emotions that wanted him to cry or have second thoughts about the mission.

There was no backing down. They had a job to do. The missing scientists and security team all had families waiting for them back home, and Jack was going to get them back.

Carver climbed into the car and shut the door, removing his beret once he did. Farren closed his door and started the car. Soon, Jack's family and home were out of sight, even in the rear view mirror. Jack sighed and slumped into his seat while rubbing his face with his palms.

"Thanks for the ride, Master Corporal. Hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"No worries, heading to Pearson airport anyway, might as well pick you up."

A few minutes of silence passed in the vehicle. Jack was still down about leaving his family behind, and Farren was understandably nerve racked about taking command of a section on an operation.

"What you did back there." Farren started, breaking the silence. "You're a good man, Carver."

Jack's hands fell to his sides as he looked at the driver. "...Thank you, Master Corporal."

"You're welcome, kid." Farren took one hand off the steering wheel and lightly hit Jack on the shoulder. "You can drop the 'Master Corporal' stuff when higher ups aren't around by the way. You're in my section. I'm trusting you with my life, and you're trusting me with yours. We can't rightly worry about the fight if we're worrying about addressing people by rank, now are we?

"...I guess not Mas-...yeah that's gonna take some getting used to."

"Understandable. But I can live with that. From what I've seen in the field you're a good soldier, and from the way you behave and interact you've got good character. That's a rare combination, Jack Carver."

Jack was surprised how closely the Master Corporal had been observing him. However, it slightly stroked his ego hearing such positive things. He wouldn't get cocky, but, it was good to know he was doing his job right.

"Now we've got a while to go before we get to the airport. Get some shut eye, Carver."

"Yeah I'll make use of that tip of yours." Jack murmured before resting his head against the window and closing his eyes.

 **FOUR HOURS LATER - TORONTO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT**

Carver and Farren took their seats on the plane after a hefty discussion with Customs regarding the contents of their duffle bags. While they had no weaponry, it was difficult to explain why they had body armor, helmets, tactical vests and other such military equipment. However, once the Military ID came out, the soldiers were able to board.

The plane they boarded was smaller in nature, and very few passengers boarded.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Southampton Island in Nunavut. Small, near the bay, perfect to launch a battlegroup from." Farren whispered while eyeing the passengers. Trained paranoia.

"Oh great...the cold…" Jack rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, kid. We won't be there long I'm sure." Farren chuckled, sitting back in his chair. "We're kitting up, getting weapons, getting ammunition and launching. Higher ups want to get going quickly."

"Getting right to it then." Jack shrugged.

"Yeah, guess so." Farren reached into his bag and pulled out a book, turning the pages until he reached his book mark.

Jack lounged in his seat and searched for his headphones in his pocket. Once he found them, he put them in his ears and rested his head against the wall of the plane, waiting for the moment they'd board their ship and head to battle.

 **SEVERAL HOURS LATER - SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND (NUNAVUT)**

Farren was first to step out of the plane. He shivered the moment he did and noticed his breath in the cold.

"I hate my life, I hate my life, I hate my life." Jack muttered when he waddled out of the plane into the cold air. "I hate this already."

"Agreed, let's find where we've got to go so we can get the Hell outta here."

Jack and Farren looked around. Hundreds of soldiers occupied the area, all completing different tasks. Multiple infantry soldiers like themselves had been running around with their gear searching for their respective spots while support staff filled trucks and other vehicles with gas. Various Milcots raced around the facility, carrying supplies, ammunition, and soldiers to their destinations.

Without a clue of where to go, the two men approached a lone soldier dressed in cold weather gear at the end of the runway. When the two got closer, they realized the man was a captain. They halted, and both saluted the officer.

The Captain returned the salute. "Thank you. Who are you two with?" The officer asked, reaching into his pocket, retrieving a note pad.

"Bravo company, 1st Platoon, sir!" Farren yelled over the sound of their plane taking off.

The officer scanned his page. "Right! Okay troops, you two are going to follow this service road all the trucks are using! You're gonna stop at the makeshift armory which you can't miss, grab your weapons and flag a Milcot, it'll get you where you need to go!" The captain pointed to the road just a couple meters away from them.

"Roger that, sir! Thanks!"

"Good luck, boys!"

Jack followed Farren onto the road where they followed the abundance of trucks to a mass gathering of men in several lines. A section of Infantry left the crowd, armed to the teeth with C9 Light Machine Guns, C7's and sidearms. The armory had divided the lines by company and subsequently; platoons, meaning Jack and Farren were lucky being in the first platoon.

"Well, at least we won't be waiting very long." Jack joked.

They joined the line with the few remaining soldiers of Bravo Company that hadn't yet received their weaponry. Farren stuffed the empty magazines he got into his cargo pockets and slung his C7A2 Assault Rifle, waiting for Jack to get his own personal weapon. Jack's C7A2 with an under-slung M203 was handed to him by the Company Quartermaster. Like Farren before him, he was given empty magazines to later fill with ammunition. He placed them in his pocket and followed Farren, who was searching for a Milcot.

"Hey, Corporal!" Farren shouted to a corporal who was leaning against the hood of a parked Milcot near the Armory.

The driver's head shot up, searching for the source of the call. He found Farren and stood tall. "Need a lift?" He asked.

"If you don't mind."

"Sure thing. Hop in, Master Corporal. The kid coming too?" The Corporal opened the passenger door for Farren while Jack scurried over, carrying his grenade launcher and rifle.

"Yeah, he's with me."

"Roger. Alright, Private, let's go." He waved his hand, causing Jack to speed up and jump into the back seat.

"You know where Bravo Company, 1st Platoon is set up?" Farren asked while doing up his seat belt.

The corporal grabbed a map that was resting on the dashboard of the Milcot. The map displayed the small island and had clearly defined the temporary shelters set up by the DND for the operation. He scanned it for a brief moment, searching for Farren's desired location.

"Yeah, I got it." The corporal started the car and drove off, leaving the armory behind.

In time the Milcot came to a halt in front of a rather small portable building.

"Thanks for the lift." Farren patted the Corporal on the shoulder and climbed out of the vehicle.

"No worries. Good luck, guys."

"Thanks, Corporal." Jack exited the vehicle and walked to the door next to Farren who had halted in front of it.

Farren opened the door and came to attention. "Permission to enter?"

Lieutenant Bryson looked up from his gear to see Master Corporal Farren and Private Carver standing at the door. "Come on in. With you two accounted for I think we've got everybody."

"Roger that sir. I'll get kitted up, and I'll get a headcount to you asap, Sir." Farren and Jack found a secluded corner in the already crowded room and threw down their duffle bags. "Ditch button up shirts Carver, swap to battle rattle." Farren ordered.

"Sure thing." Jack complied while opening his duffle bag.

"Nice of you to join us, Jack!" Lewis, who was fully geared up, hit his partner on the shoulder.

"You know I'd never miss a party, Jerome!"

The first item he withdrew was his combat shirt. The shirt in design was very similar to the United States Marine Corps' FROG shirt. The shirts sleeves were made of the same material of the traditional uniform while the torso area was made of an almost under armor like material. In design, this was intended to keep the wearer cooler and more comfortable while wearing body armor and load bearing equipment as it was much more breathable than the traditional tunic. On the biceps of the shirt, velcro tabs would allow soldiers to put name tapes, flags, blood type patches and other such relevant information while also acting as shoulder pockets.

Jack undid the buttons to his traditional CADPAT tunic and removed it from his body before donning the combat shirt. While at the moment, he was cold, the shirt would prove to be extremely helpful in hotter conditions.

Next, Jack grabbed his body armor, the Canadian Forces fragmentation vest. The vest was mainly produced to stop fragmentation from grenades and explosives from striking the user's torso, however in recent years, it has gained two ballistic plates in the front and the back of the vest to protect the wearer from ballistic weapons. Carver fastened it to his chest, and it already began to warm his body a little.

Followed by his body armor was his tactical vest. The vest standard issue to the Canadian Forces would allow the soldier to carry multiple magazines for his primary weapon as well as other useful equipment into battle. Things such as an Individual First Aid Kit, or IFAK for short, maps, compasses, grenades, bayonet carrier and more. Jack put the vest on over his body armor and zipped it up around himself.

Carver unzipped a pouch on his tactical vest, fetching his tan Mechanix M-Pact gloves. His bare hands now donned the comfortable and durable gloves that got him through his Infantry course.

A lone olive drab knee pad was fastened to his right knee for crouched shooting while permitting mobility in the other leg. By only using one pad, it also avoided overweighing the soldier.

Now only two items remained. Jack placed the tinted lenses of his Ballistic Eye Wear on his face, darkening the world around him once they covered his eyes. The final item was his helmet. He chose not to don it yet. However, he fastened the helmet strap to a piece of webbing on his tactical vest so he did not have to carry it.

When Jack looked up, Farren was strapping his helmet to his head and ready to go just like him.

"Owens, we got everybody?"

Corporal Owens, who had been speaking with three other soldiers looked up. "You and Carver were the last two we needed, boss. 2 Section is ready to roll."

"Copy that. Grab some ammo cans everybody, something tells me we'll be moving out soon."

While soldiers from 2 Section, Jack included, grabbed as many ammo cans as they could, Farren marched his way over to the Platoon commander.

"Sir."

"George. You got everybody?"

"Yeah. My 2IC took a count while waiting for my last soldier and me to arrive. 2 Section is ready and waiting, sir."

"Good. Weapons det and the other two sections are prepped. Looks like we're green…" The young Lieutenant looked nervous, of that, Farren was certain.

"Platoon, on me!" Bryson yelled out, gaining the attention of all three sections. They gathered around the Platoon commander.

"Alright, boys and girls. This is it. We're green. This means we're going to go board that Goliath of a ship and go through the anomaly. I can't speak to what is on the other side. And I can't say it'll be easy. But I've seen each of you excel in training, and you've impressed me to the core. You embody what the Canadian Forces Infantry has to offer; highly skilled, highly trained and dedicated warriors. I have faith that you will act with bravery and selflessness like you always do. Good luck, everyone." Bryson himself came to attention and saluted his men.

All members of the platoon saluted their commander. "Thank you, sir!" A collective response echoed in the room.

"Let's get moving and show everyone else how it's done."

The Platoon rushed out of the building, joining the remainder of Bravo company in the sea of soldiers attempting to board the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. Hundreds of men lined the ramp, leading onto the Brock's portside bulkheads. RHIBS and LAV's were being loaded into the ships aft amphibious stern gate while the troops flooded the ship.

"Think there will be hot girls on the other side?" Jerome asked.

"Shut the Hell up, Lewis." Farren rolled his eyes.

Jack laughed and punched his friend on the shoulder.

"What?! I'm genuinely interested!"

"Yeah, I'm sure it's your scientific interest motivating your dumb questions, buddy."

"ID." An MP guarding the top of the ramp blocked the soldiers from entering without showing credentials.

"Fun police, look out." Farren whispered among his section, earning a few chuckles.

Despite the jokes, the men pulled out their ID cards and displayed them to the officer before boarding the cramped naval ship. The troops began to feel packed like sardines while navigating the corridors of the ship, searching for their bunks. The men were congregated into small barrack style rooms that could house four people at a time with a bunk bed on either side of the room. Jack, Jerome, Owens and Farren were isolated to a room together.

"Huh...Cozy…" Owens muttered sarcastically. He threw his duffle bag down at the rear of the room and quickly climbed into a bunk to get out of the way for the three remaining men.

"No place like home." Farren added to the sarcasm before doing the same as Owens.

"Join the army they said, see the world they said…" Jerome mumbled and placed his weapon on his bunk, claiming the top bunk on the left side of the room.

Jack was last to step in and put his duffle bag neatly with the other three. "I brought some ammo cans, we can start loading mags when you're ready."

"Good. Let's gather the section and get to work." Farren lept off his bunk and followed Jack out of the room.

While they traversed the halls, the ship wide communication system blared.

"Attention all hands, this is the Captain. Today, we venture into unknown territory without any knowledge of what lies beyond. We said goodbye to family, friends, and sadly for some of us, it may be the last time. But is as accustomed to this army, we do not back down from a fight that has been perceived to be difficult. Our government choose us because we are the best Canada has to offer and by extension the best chance those brave men and women on the other side of that anomaly have at a safe return home. I will not lie. The road ahead will be difficult and some of you will have a hard time comprehending, and coping with our current predicament. But remember this: The men who stormed Vimy Ridge knew the risks of their action and marched into the fray, forging the very country we now have the honour of serving. Then those same men, less than a decade later returned to free the people of Europe from tyrannical socialist control. And that's our job, should it be boiled down to one, simple word; freedom. The very building block of our great democracy. A principle worth fighting, and bleeding for. This principle of liberty is one our ancestors were called upon to defend, and now we too, must make similar sacrifices in the days, weeks and maybe even months ahead. But I believe. I believe that we were born for this very moment, this expedition to the fringes of what we know and understand. When we reach the other side of that anomaly, any resistance we face will hear the roar of the Canadian Armed Forces and the stealing resolve of every man and woman on this vessel. And most of all any resistance we face, we will face, as a united force. God speed to each and every one of you, and God save the Queen."

"Solid speech captain, it's a nice sentiment for the troops" Officer Beckett added as she approached her station.

"Let's hope that morale keeps." Dietz put away the microphone and walked back to his chair. He looked starboard, seeing the anomaly in its entirety. "Helm give half power then turn us 90 degrees starboard. Get us head on with that portal."

The ship moaned as the engines shot power to the golden yellow propellers under the ship's superstructure. The ship move horizontally out of port until she had enough room to turn a perfect 90 degrees. As the ship grew closer to the contact entrance, Dietz once again called a general, ship wide call.

"All hands, brace for contact. Here we go."

* * *

 _A/N: That concludes chapter one. Please feel free to leave a review to let us know what you thought. Also, if you found this first chapter to be way too confusing in terms of military jargon, we've prepared a glossary of terms at the bottom of this chapter that will hopefully remedy and confusion. If it doesn't help, please let us know and we'll be sure to add something or better explain a pre-listed topic._

 _Once again, massive thanks to my co-writer Starwarsmast3r, who helped greatly in terms of the Naval parts and created Captain Dietz and his crew. Please check him out and read his stuff, it's pretty great._

* * *

 _ **GLOSSARY OF TERMS:**_

 **RCR-** The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.

 **BATTALION-** An organization of rifle companies and a support company.

 **COMPANY-** An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon

 **PLATOON-** An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment

 **SECTION-** A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad")

 **FIRE TEAM-** A team of 2 soldiers

 **WEAPONS DET-** Short for Weapons Detachment, which has the heavy weapons of the typical Infantry platoon.

 **IC-** Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)

 **2IC-** Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)

 **BOW-** Front of a boat

 **CADPAT-** Canadian Disruptive Pattern

 **CDS-** Chief of the Defence Staff

 **CIC-** Combat Information Center

 **CVN-** Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ships Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.

 **C.O-** Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain

 **X.O-** Second in Command of the Vessel

 **FANTAIL-** Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel

 **FLANK SPEED-** Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.

 **HELM/HELMSMAN-** Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. Helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgment calls on behalf of officers.

 **HMCS-** Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.

 **KNOT** \- Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.

 **MILCOT** \- Military truck

 **NAVIGATION/ NAVIGATION OFFICER** \- Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control and listening stations.

 **OOW-** Officer of the Watch. Acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.

 **PTE-** Short form for Private

 **CPL-** Short form for Corporal

 **Mcpl-** Short form for Master Corporal

 **SGT-** Short form for Sergeant

 **LT-** Short form for Lieutenant

 **PM-** Prime Minister of Canada

 **PORT-** Left-hand side of the ship

 **REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES-** Safety protocols to protect the engines from long term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.

 **RHIB-** Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow

 **LAV-** Light Armored Vehicle

 **QUIET ORDERS-** Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.

 **STARBOARD-** Right-hand side of the ship

 **STERN-** Back of a ship

 **C7A2-** Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. 5.56x45mm round. Similar to the US Military's M16

 **C8-** Carbine variant of the C7A2. Similar to the US Military's M4 Carbine.

 **M203-** Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade. (Forty Mike Mike stands for 40mm)

 **C9A2 LMG-** Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Remarkably similar to the US military's M249


	2. Frontier

_A/N: Hello! Welcome back to Strangers in a Strange Land. Once again; huge shout out to my co-writer Starwarsmaster who continues to support the story and provide good content._

* * *

 _ **RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land  
**  
_ _Chapter 2: Frontier_

* * *

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES**

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY**  
 **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC**  
 **MARPAC**  
 **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ**

The trip through was almost instantaneous. As the ship veered its bow on the other side, the bridge crew was glad to see that there was open water for the ship to maneuver in. A ship as big as the 'Brock' would make slow turns and risk internal damage if the banks are too tight. The ship was still moving through the portal when, what felt like an EMP blast, went through the ship. Progressively, power throughout the ship failed as more of the vessel came through. computer screens shut off and even personal cell phones powered down as the ship continued through. Captain Dietz raised to his feet and looked around. If it needed electricity, it is was down and out. Thankfully the planets sun was up, despite it being the middle of the night back in Canada.

"Helm, status report?!" Dietz repositioned himself in his seat, turning it around to face the crew.

"Seems like an EMP blast sir, I have nothing." the young seaman completed a visual check of his monitors and tried maneuvering the ships instruments.

"OOW's, visual check now, I want to know what's happening to my ship." Dietz barked. Two seamen picked up binoculars off a shelf on either side of the ship's bridge, stepping out to the deck's exterior watchpoints. Both men inspected the stern and bow on their respective sections for visual breaches or damage.

"Starboard is clear sir!" the first seamen yelled into the bridge, returning inside.

"Port side is green as well sir!" the second seamen added.

Dietz began to process options. If the ship was clear of damage than the only real problem, if any, would be damage to the ship's onboard nuclear-powered reactor. Usually, a ship of this size would carry 4 diesel turbines to power the engines, but since that was presumed to be a rare and unobtainable commodity in this world, he was serviced with a nuclear reactor. Similar to that of a submarine, it removes the need for refueling and to accommodate the crew with a nearly endless source of energy. Of course, all of this is useless if the ship is dead in the water. Because of the Brocks sheer size, momentum would continue to propel the ship, presuming there were calm waters. If the EMP hit the reactor, then power distribution throughout the ship would be down. No air support or shipboard weapons systems for self-defence. His only option would be to get the ship to shore as soon as possible and deploy men to the four fifty caliber light machine guns on the ship's gangways.

"Helm, do we still have rudder control?" Dietz inquired to his helmsman. The seaman felt for resistance on his joystick before giving his officer a sure answer.

"Very slight sir, we may have an hour of use before we lose hydraulic pressure, but I can't say for sure."

Dietz sat back in his chair, Contemplating his next course of action. Whatever he did, it involved getting to land. "Watch, do you see land?" Dietz inquired, hoping he could make use of the ships continued momentum.

"Yes, sir, about 5 miles out. Off port at 22 degrees relative." The watchman called back from his exterior post.

"Nav?" Dietz implied the availability of pressure to turn the rudder.

"We can make the turn sir."

"Good. Helm, come about 22 degrees relative and get us to land. Let's anchor out as close as possible."

With the order, the ship slowly turned, using what little pressure they had left. As the ship evened out on its course, a man stepped through the bulkhead, he wore two ½ inch stripes with a ¼ inch stripe between on his shoulder epaulets, signifying him as a lieutenant commander. He removed his service cap upon entering.

"Helluva day gents." the man said, pushing past some of the seamen on the bridge. He seemed much happier and uplifting than most on the bridge. As he approached the front of the ship, he lay back in his designated chair. The chair was a navy blue with golden letters written 'XO' on the back. Dietz sighed and turned his head to face his XO. The man was leaning back in his chair with his hands interlocked behind his head. As he noticed the displeasure on the captain's face, his smile slowly faded.

"I meant, golly gee, what a day was having…" The man said, trying to lighten the mood. Dietz still wasn't pleased. "Sir" the man added to his previous statement. Dietz gave a slight smirk in approval and continued.

"And where has my XO been all this time?" Dietz crossed his arms in judgment as he leaned back in his chair.

"CIC. just got back."

"And?"

"All systems are down, but no visual damage to the weapons systems or radar equipment."

"In that case, go down and fetch me Lieutenant Colonel Reid, I think it's time that RCR gets some shore leave."

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES**  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

Jack watched as all consoles around him shut down over time. An electromagnetic pulse of some sorts had struck the ship, disabling all electronics on board. The screen of the GPS on his wrist flickered and died. To confirm his theory, Jack reached into his pocket, fishing for his personal phone. Dead. Just as he expected.

"Shit." He muttered to himself. "That can't be good…"

"What the hell was that? Did we pass through?" Farren pondered out loud.

"We must've. That EMP is certainly not normal." Jack looked around the room, looking for the Master Corporal in the darkness.

"Come on, finish up loading your mags, grab whatever else you need and let's get above deck, I'm sure the Platoon Commander is gonna want an update asap. Let's go boys!" Farren was already halfway out the door by the time the remainder of 2 Section grabbed their helmets and rifles to follow him above deck.

Carver slung his C7 rifle over his shoulder after stuffing a few more 40mm grenades into his belt and several more magazines into his tactical vest. He bolted for the door, grabbing his helmet on the way out.

Jack climbed the stairs towards the hatch that would lead above deck. When Master Corporal Farren opened said hatch, natural light flooded the pitch black bowels of the disabled naval ship with shadows of moving troops were cast all over the floor and walls.

Fresh air struck Jack's face and crept into the gaps between his chest and body armor, cooling his warm core. It brought a slight comfort to his body, whose mind was running a mile a minute and gut had butterflies starting a riot. Reluctantly, he took a deep breath, testing the air.

"Well seeing how we aren't dead I'm gonna go ahead and assume the air is clean!" Jack yelled out for everyone to hear.

"You heard him, gents, Carver took the test, stock up on your fresh air, anything's better than the stale air down there…" Farren gestured to the hatch.

Jack looked all around, taking in the surroundings. In comparison, this new world did not look too different from home. From what he could tell, the ship was in a large body of water. He brought his rifle up to his shoulder and aimed into his Elcan optical sight, attempting to locate land, if there was any.

"Master Corporal Farren, report." Lieutenant Bryson emerged from below deck, escorted by the remainder of the company and their respective commanders.

The deck now had a strong infantry presence consisting of Bravo Company's first, second and third platoons with the remainder of the battalion awaiting further command below deck.

"Sir." Farren turned to address Bryson. "Unknown location. Even if my GPS system was working, and it's not due to that goddamn EMP, I doubt it'd have a reference for where we are."

"Roger that. Well, until we get further commands; 1st Platoon! Adopt defensive posture and wait out for a command from higher. Observe your surroundings and jot down anything you find to be important, every little bit can help us learn about where we are!"

"You heard em' grunts, let's get on it!" A number of Master Corporals and Sergeants barked at their troops, herding them to the edges of the vessel to observe.

"Jack, you're on me!" Farren tapped Carver on the helmet. When the younger soldier turned to face him, he gave him a hand gesture, ordering Jack to follow.

"You've got it!" Jack altered his course, now following Farren, who was dashing to the front of the ship.

By the time both men reached the edge, Jack grunted and reached for his canteen to hydrate. Having been cramped within the ship's confines, fully armoured, surrounded by other men was bad enough, however, the temperature outdoors and sudden physical activity mixed in with nerves taxed him.

"Shit, next time we go to another damn world, let's get a smaller boat, eh boss?"

"Yeah, no kidding." Farren chuckled before looking out into the expansive body of water.

Jack sighed and aimed down his optic again, finally seeing land far off in the distance of his sight.

"You alright?" Farren asked, looking at the soldier scoping in.

"Permission to speak freely, Master Corporal?" Jack asked, still looking down his sight.

Farren's eyebrow raised. "Go ahead."

Jack unfastened his helmet strap and removed the protection from his head, placing the kevlar helmet next to him on the deck. "I won't lie, I've been trying to wrap my head around this since we were told. Even now, on the other side, I'm finding myself failing to comprehend it."

Jack lowered his rifle for a moment, attempting to take in the world around him. He took a deep breath, relying on memory to compare the air of home to that of the world they were currently in.

Farren took a seat on the edge, letting his legs dangle off the ship. "Doesn't make a lot of sense does it?"

"No, not really. It's not every day our deployments are through portals that travel to another world to rescue missing scientists…It was hard not being able to tell my family anything. My dad understands, I know my mom is worried sick already, and well, Alex is too young to comprehend really."

"So how long has your brother wanted to join the military?" Farren asked, trying to make conversation with the understandably confused and slightly skeptical Private. If anything, it helped himself as well. The prospect of being on a new planet or traveling to some sort of new realm in itself was a daunting reality, let alone on an operation.

"As long as I can remember. He always says he wants to be a soldier like me. I call him Soldier, just to make him feel like he's a part of it. Even though I'm not sure if he will be..."

"What do you mean by that?" Farren inquired.

"Alex is sick. Diagnosed with Cancer. Radiation doesn't seem to be doing a lot to keep it down…"

"Oh…" Master Corporal Farren regretted persisting. "I'm...sorry to hear that."

Jack lowered his rifle, staring out into the waters without the magnification of his rifle. "Yeah, me too."

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES**  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY**  
 **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC**  
 **MARPAC**  
 **LIEUTENANT COMMANDER KENDALL**

Kendall slid down the stairwell into the engineering room, easing his momentum as he hit the ground.

"What's wrong with the ship Scotty?" Richard Scott or "Scotty" as the crew like to joke was the ship's chief engineer and an honours graduate from the University of Waterloo, Royal Military College and the Canadian Forces Fleet School in Esquimalt. When the Conservative government was assigning officers to senior level positions on the ship, he was their first and only choice for the chief engineer. As the XO stopped beside his chief engineer, he noticed he was deep into his work inspecting the ship's reactor.

"I have a revised theory on what hit us sir" the chief engineer finished his repairs on a steam pipe, and he turned to face the officer.

"Not an EMP?" Kendall leaned upon the circuit breaker housing, feeling a lecture on marine engineering coming on.

"It was an EMP, just not one we're used to."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there are two well-known types of EMP's. One-off types that allow electronics to come back online after a short amount of time, and another that sends out consecutive pulses."

"So which hit us?"

"Neither, at least I don't think."

"Then why in the hell am I walking around a state-of-the-art Amphibious Assault Ship, that runs one of thee most powerful nuclear reactors money can buy, in the pitch ass dark? Especially while I just saw an infantryman playing Angry Birds on his iPhone 4?

"Because, well, I believe whatever hit us was, natural."

"Natural? Since when were Electromagnetic Pulses naturally occurring?"

"Perhaps 'natural' was the wrong word. Sir, whatever hit us went right for the reactor. Anything else that got caught was just in the way."

"How is that possible?"

"Well, sir. It could be that the electrode properties of this region, mixed with the near sudden addition of a man-made nuclear generator caused the elements in the air to cause a ship wide short circuit of all technology. Culminating, of course, in the now vegetable state of our reactor."

"I'm sorry I asked. Look, can you get us online or not?"

"Well, of course I can sir, I just need to kickstart the reactor."

"That's it, just kickstart a highly volatile and radioactive nuclear reactor."

"That's it!" Scotty put on a sarcastic grin, knowing full well the size of his order.

"I guess jump cables won't work for this" Kendall started to scratch his forehead out of raw confusion.

"No sir, all I need is the fuel from the Endeavour. If I can start the engines by loading fresh fuel into the tank, then the propellers will start turning. After a while, the chain reaction will lead back to the A1B, and then there shall be light." Kendall grinned and snickered at Scotty's attempt at a joke.

"Very dramatic Scotty but I'll let the Captain know. You'll get your fuel."

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES**  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY  
MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC  
MARPAC  
COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ

Lieutenant Colonel Reid slowly stepped through the bulkhead, adjusting his beret as he did so.

"Captain." Reid came to the position of attention and offered a salute, a sign of respect for the naval Commander. "Mind getting me a Sitrep? My boys are getting a tad anxious. I told them if they didn't calm down, I'd pull over, but it seems we've already done that."

Dietz put down the manual he was reading and returned the formal salute ":Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, welcome to the bridge, though I'd hoped we would be in better shape." Dietz gestured the Colonel to take a seat in the XO's chair while he gave the briefing. Dietz waited for the Colonel to take a seat before he himself sat down "Would you like the short version or the long version?"

Reid returned his hand to his side and followed the Captain's gesture to the XO's chair. He sunk into the seat, sitting up once he became comfortable. "Well, Captain. I'm in the mood for the long version. Since I'm already up here and nice and snug in this seat." The Lieutenant Colonel had a sly grin on his face before returning to the more pressing matters. "Where are we at?"

"Not in a good place, though hard to admit. EMP hit us hard. Aircraft and mechanized units are intact but without the reactor to power the elevators or propellant systems, their useless. Weapons are offline and without those, our defensive capabilities are limited to those of four 50. online." on the gangways of the ship and whatever fire support your men can muster. Engineering says they can get the reactor back in a manner of hours if your men can secure the remaining fuel from the Endeavour's storage tanks."

"I've already got my troops posted around the deck in a defensive posture. I've got C6's for every platoon and a couple 84mm's posted around. Factored in with the rifle sections and their C9's, we should be able to repel anything that comes at us until we've got weapons back up. As for the reactor, the sooner it's back online, the sooner we can get on with our mission. I'll have my men recover fuel from the HMCS Endeavour's supplies."

"Speaking of which, if you'll follow me over here" Dietz suggested, moving for a small table to the right of Reid's chair. On the table lay a map with a rough sketch of the coastline, with small points marked in red as possible insertion points for ground forces.

Reid pushed himself out of the XO's seat and followed the Captain to the table, overlooking the contents to get a rough idea of the plan.

"Shit. I didn't know I was getting a beach vacation."

"I apologize for the poor quality of the map, but given the circumstances, it's the best we can do until we get the Predator running."

"Hell, Captain. The Infantry can run with sticks and rocks, that'll do nicely. What am I looking at?"

"We've mapped out the zones in relation to where the HMCS Endeavour went missing. Given their mission parameters and fuel capabilities, we've figured that they would have stayed in the general vicinity. These zones here, marked with stars are your best bets to start searching, they are also within optimal range of air support, assuming we can provide it. I'll have flight crews standing by and the hornets warmed up for when the reactor comes online."

"Very good. We should probably set a side objective of reconnaissance of any land mass we come across while the primary focus is on locating the Endeavour. I have a number of Recce elements standing by as well as a number of Platoons combat ready as we speak. Bravo company is active currently with 1st Platoon already on the deck, I'd just have to replace them on watch."

The XO, who was standing at the back of the bridge whilst the officers were conversing took the time to procure his chair now that it was vacant.

"If you'd like to prepare a ground party, I'll have my XO work on getting the assault bay door open for your men to go ashore."

"Right then. I'll deploy a Recce element to the mainland, see if we can learn about where we are. They're gonna need a LAV and a couple RHIBs. As for the Endeavour, I'm tasking Lieutenant Bryson and 1st Platoon of Bravo Company to locate the ship and search for survivors. They're gonna need some RHIB's too."

"I'll start moving support resources down to the bay for deployment and will make sure that they are fueled and ready to go. I'll send the LAV's once your men secure a beachhead, can't fit all that in the bay at once I'm afraid. This is only the beginning of a long road ahead Colonel, I'm glad we can be partners in this."

"Likewise, Captain. Let's make this operation one for the history books."

Dietz set his book down on the table next to him and snapped to attention out of respect. Reid returned the gesture and spun on his heel to exit the bridge. Dietz retrieved his book from the Navigation station adjacent to him and continued to read up. Noticing that his XO had just secured his seat from the Colonel, Dietz thought he might play with Mike for his improper address to the bridge crew earlier

"XO, front and center." Dietz ordered

Mike let out a faint sigh as he got up out of his chair. He slowly rose from his seat to the right of the captain's chair and stood next to the captain, who was looking over a command structure manual for the vessel.

"There a problem, Mike?"

"I live to serve Commodore." Mike said sarcastically. Dietz shook his head and looked back down at the manual. Sure he could have barked at Mike for not using proper etiquette, but what purpose would that serve. Dietz partly believed that mike enjoyed getting the book thrown at him for not following Navy regulation, but that was in the past, and Dietz needed him by his side.

"When unexpected power loss happens, emergency generators kick in right?"

"Yes sir, every navy vessel needs enough reserve power to run primary function like radar, sonar, red lights and medical."

"But we have manual overrides for things that would usually rely on the system to be at full strength to run."

"Yeah, fire suppression is considered in secondary functions because it can operate manually without needing to be controlled by the ships subroutines."

"What about the amphibious assault bay?"

"Bay door works like any other garage door, it has a manual override, but it requires hydraulic systems to move."

"Are you sure we can move it?"

"I'm confident we have enough hydraulic pressure to open it."

"Do it. Oh, and Mike?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"You can rest when you're dead."

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES**  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

Jack climbed into the RHIB with his rifle over his shoulder, following Farren and Lt. Bryson.

"Alright listen up first Platoon!" Bryson shouted as three RHIB's were lowered down to water level within the assault bay of the HMCS Brock.

"Captain Dietz and his men have located the HMCS Endeavour anchored out a klick from the mainland. According to the Lieutenant Colonel's report; the ship is severely damaged. While Recce elements head to the beach, we're moving out to board the Endeavour and rescue any survivors we come across. And engage hostile forces, if any. Lock and load, boys."

The eerie order sent a chill down Jack's spine. Regardless, he removed a magazine from a pouch on his tactical vest and slammed it into the rifle. He then opened the M203 grenade launcher under his barrel and fed a 40mm grenade into the chamber and closed it. He was ready to fight.

"Badly damaged, you know what that means." Jerome muttered to Jack.

"Contact." Jack responded.

Their RHIB hit the water moments later. Jack peered over the edge, staring at his wavy reflection in the water. The heavily armoured, CADPAT clad soldier was visibly nervous. The massive assault bay door eventually lifted, revealing the massive body of water that Jack was observing earlier. The ship had drifted even further as the land mass the crew spotted earlier was significantly closer

A LAV and two other RHIBs were lowered, holding the Recce platoon soldiers within. They sped off first after giving a thumbs up and a shout of good luck to 1st Platoon.

The sound of the engine blared and they sped off, not far behind the Recce platoon.

"Once we board, keep it tight 2 Section!" Master Corporal Farren shouted.

"You know, the rest of Bravo Company is probably getting cozy in their defensive posture, and the remainder of the battlegroup are more than likely chilling below deck waiting for something to do. Why do we always get the fun missions?" Jack asked aloud with a sly grin painted on his face.

"Oh, this isn't the fun part." Jerome smirked. "The fun part is searching the Endeavour top to bottom with possible contact and getting survivors back to the Brock."

"Could be worse," Farren turned to face the two Privates. "We could be on the Recce patrol into uncharted territory. At least we have a rough idea of the innards of a ship."

"If I wanted to see this much water and spend that much time on a stinky boat, I would've joined the goddamn Navy…" Jerome shrugged.

"Don't let Captain Dietz hear you talking shit about his boat, soldier." Lieutenant Bryson hollered from his RHIB.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Sir!" Jerome chuckled.

Jack kept his eyes front, searching for the Endeavour. The occasional splash of water would come up from the side of the RHIB and soak his leg, garnering his attention every now and then. Whenever he did lose focus on his search, Jack would watch the water, looking for aquatic life to compare.

He stuck his hand in the water, instantly cooling his warm hand.

"Jesus." Farren muttered abruptly.

"What?" Jack's hand retreated out of the water and quickly donned its glove. "What's the matt-...Holy shit…"

The three RHIBs were now in visible range of the Endeavour. It did not look good. Scorch marks littered the hull, meaning at one point the ship was ablaze. A significant portion of the hull was punctured and bent outwards like it had been breached or ripped open from the exterior.

"That ship is giant, what the hell could've done that?" Jerome asked, hoping anyone could answer.

"Nothing good, that's for sure." Jack whispered to himself in disbelief.

"Alright boys, we're closing in, charge weapons on your own time." Bryson chimed in while watching the Endeavour carefully.

Jack gripped the cocking handle of his rifle and racked it back, loading a round into the chamber of his C7A2. With a flick of the fire selector, the weapon was put on safe until the time came to engage the enemy.

"Just for the record," Jack stated while staring at the Endeavour. "I always hoped to go to a new planet in my lifetime. But uh...not under these circumstances."

"Close encounters of the Canadian kind, Carver." Farren cocked his weapon.

The RHIBs came to a halt near a hull breach that would save time searching for another entry. The creaking of the bulkheads was loud enough that they drowned out the engines of the RHIB crafts. The ship was in even worse condition than initial visual contact would have suggested. The ship was nearly torn in half.

"For God's sake, the whole ship is coming apart…" Bryson stood up, examining the ship.

"Sir." Farren called out.

"Go ahead, Farren."

"All due respect sir, there's no way we're getting all our boys in there safely. The damn thing looks like it's gonna give any moment."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Let me take a team, sir. Hard and fast sweep. If there are any survivors, which I'm unfortunately doubting at this moment in time, we'll get em'. We can also hit the bridge and gather any intelligence we can about what happened. Minimal risk to the platoon."

Bryson pondered his options for a moment. He had the choices of; deploy a platoon of men into a possibly hostile and near destroyed science vessel with the chance of the ship caving in or sinking, killing all his men, or, sending a small team of soldiers into a possibly hostile situation. While both options seemed terrible, he made up his mind.

"You win, Farren. The remainder of the platoon will hold here waiting for your return. Take two fireteams."

"Roger that, Sir." Farren was glad his former student trusted him enough to make a tough decision. "I need three volunteers."

"Yep." Jack reluctantly called out, standing up as he did.

"Right behind you." Corporal Owens sounded off as well.

"Guess that makes me number three." Jerome rolled his eyes.

"Owens, Lewis, you're fireteam Bravo. Carver, you and I are Alpha. Bravo, you'll take the rear of the ship, we'll take the front."

"You got it, boss." Owens acknowledged.

"Owens, try your radio." Farren instructed. "Hopefully it'll work."

Corporal Owens removed his handheld radio from its respective pouch and clicked the push-to-talk button twice, earning two clicks on Farren's receiver.

"Fireteam Alpha, this is Fireteam Bravo, radio check, over."

Miraculously, it came through on Farren's radio.

"Fireteam Bravo, Fireteam Alpha, loud and clear."

"Well, that'll come in handy." Jerome commented.

"Hey sir, we've got handheld radios working! I suggest we keep in contact. We'll radio in occasionally!" Farren yelled to Bryson's RHIB.

"Good to know. I'm gonna try and raise the Brock if radios are working. Don't take too long in there, Farren. The moment you and your boys think you're in shit, get the hell out, that's an order."

"Acknowledged, Sir. Driver, get us closer to that hull breach, that's where we'll infil." Farren tapped the RHIB driver on the shoulder.

"Roger that, Master Corporal." The lone RHIB soon carefully maneuvered into the torn hull of the Endeavour before halting near a damaged ramp that the four soldiers could use to get aboard.

For a moment, no man stepped off the RHIB. The four men observed the destroyed hull and the ramp that would allow them access to a door further in the ship.

"Well." Jack shrugged. "One small step for Jack." He grabbed the ramp and hoisted himself up, climbing over the railing. "One giant leap for the Canadian Infantry."

Jack turned back to the railing of the ramp and leaned over it, extending his hand to help the next soldier up. It was, of course, Farren that gripped Jack's hand and climbed the ramp next. Once Jerome and Corporal Owens joined the two on the ramp, Farren and turned, waving the RHIB off.

"Alright boys, we're the brave volunteers." Farren remarked with a sly grin as he turned to observe his small team. "Typical." He chuckled and pat the two privates on the shoulder.

"Yay us." Jerome mused.

"Bunk buddies, unite!" Jack said sarcastically.

"You'll make Corporal for this I'm sure." Owens teased.

"Right on." Jack gave a thumbs up with a grin.

The men did their best to stay positive. And in the depths of a seemingly abandoned and destroyed ship; their solution was jokes.

"Okay, playtime's over gents. We've got a job to do. Owens, Lewis; sweep the stern. What I said on the ride over stands. Keep it tight, and we'll be outta here in no time."

"We're on it. Lewis, let's move." Owens ordered while loading a belt of rounds into his C9 Light Machine Gun.

"That's the back of the ship, right?" Lewis asked as they stepped off.

Owens sighed. "Yes. The stern is the rear of the ship."

"Well sorry! I'm in the Infantry, not the Navy!"

Corporal Owens and Private Lewis disappeared into the bowels of the ship through the single accessible door in the hull breach they discovered on the starboard side of the ship.

"That leaves the Bow to us, kid." Farren reached for his rifle that dangled from its sling. "Ready to rock?"

"Hell yeah, Master Corporal." Jack nodded, giving a thumbs up as he did.

Jack shouldered his C7A2 and began to walk, each footfall making an audible creak on the fallen catwalk. He cringed with every step, knowing that anyone would hear them coming. Friend or foe. The few emergency lights that remained on would occasionally fill the dark corridors with red light. Jacked extended his arm and switched the light on his rifle on, enabling himself and Farren to see a tad better. Farren soon did the same.

With the exception of their footsteps, the ship was dead silent. The state of the ship had not been better on the interior. Long tears in the metal walls were everywhere, bulkheads had been smashed, bullet holes and scoring littered the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"This confirms it." Farren whispered, not taking his eyes off his arcs of fire. "They were engaged."

Jack's boot made contact with a puddle. What he had thought to be water was revealed to be blood once his rifle light illuminated the floor. A sharp chill traveled down his spine.

"...Shit…" He muttered.

It was then both men had a feeling they were being watched, or stalked. Jack turned, shining his light down the corridor, back where they came.

"Anything?" Farren asked, keeping his rifle forward.

Jack squinted, finding difficulty in distinguishing shapes or movement with the mixture of white light coming from his torch, flashing red emergency lights and pure darkness.

"No way to know." He finally answered.

"Well, if whatever did this is still around, we're bound to run into it eventually. Let's go."

Jack moved back to Farren's side, and the two began to progress once again. The occasional creak of metal that was not caused by the two men's footfalls would spark a response from the soldiers. One would watch the rear while the either nervously led the fireteam forward.

"Can't see shit in here…" Farren whispered.

Jack turned his back and shone his light down the corridor to assist Farren's sight.

"There that should do-" Jack froze then abruptly spun around, took a knee and took up a sight picture down the hall.

"Report." Farren ordered while watching their front.

Jack remained quiet, examining the rear in depth.

"Jack!" Farren searched for the soldier behind him, using his non-dominant hand to grip his shoulder.

"Heard something." Jack finally responded. "Something fell back there."

Farren reached for his radio and brought it up to his face.

"Fireteam Bravo, Fireteam Alpha." He whispered.

"Go ahead, Alpha." Owens voice quickly responded.

"Find anything yet?"

"We've got bodies."

"How many?"

"A lot. Scientists, a few Enhanced Boarding Party guys…I'd say a dozen just where we're standing."

"God damn it…" Farren shook his head. "Okay, take their tags and ammo, something tells me we're gonna need it."

"Roger that. Lewis, grab some extra mags for your C7, see if you can find some extra belts for the 9." Owens spoke off the radio to his partner. "You two find anything, Farren?"

"Just blood and spent casings. No corpses yet. We're hearing stuff though, that you tripping over crap?"

"I thought that was you guys…"

Jack looked up and over his shoulder to his section commander, who stared forward in silence. He could tell Farren felt exactly what he was; fear and uncertainty.

"Negative, that's not us. Carry on with the objective, keep in contact. Alpha, out." Farren stuffed his radio back into its pouch and resumed aiming down the hallway while pondering their next course of action.

"Mission hasn't changed?" Jack asked, looking for confirmation.

"Mission hasn't changed, Kid." Farren nodded, "I've got a feeling we're gonna have company sooner rather than later. Don't hesitate to light up anything coming at us from that hallway."

"Right." Jack acknowledged.

"Come on, let's make this quick." Farren lifted Carver to his feet by the strap on the back of his tactical vest.

The two nervously inched forward down the blood-stained halls. Jack looked to his left, observing bloody handprints on the walls. The smears indicated the victim had been dragged.

"God damn…"

They would often pass rooms with the hatch doors cracked open. Whenever Farren or Jack would peek into the room, shine their lights into the room and every time find a worse scene than the last. One room in particular had its door torn from its metal hinges. Tables and chairs had been thrown around the room, obscuring much of the torch's light.

"Psst." Jack whispered, gaining Farren's attention. The younger soldier stopped at the door and waited for the Master Corporal to join him in clearing the room. Both men took up position with Carver taking the lead. Farren squeezed Jack's shoulder, letting him know that he was ready.

Jack moved swiftly, rushing into the left side of the room while Farren swept to the right. Both men waved their lights around, searching for targets.

"Right side clear!"

"Left looks clear!"

Both soldiers relaxed a little, using their lights to search the room in depth. The tables that had seemed to be strewn about had actually formed a makeshift barricade. Farren leaned over the barrier and shone his light. He shook his head and sighed.

"We're gonna get the bastards that did this, Carver."

Jack made his way to the table defence to observe what his leader was talking about. Within the poorly made defensive position, a number of scientists and other non-combatants lay dead. A lone Enhanced Boarding Party operator was swimming in a sea of brass casings. The operator had died in a last stand, defending the civilians. The warrior's C8 Carbine was still in his dead hands, a loaded magazine in his other. The scene made Jack want to puke. It was a slaughter.

"Died a hero." Jack whispered to himself.

He climbed over the barricade. Jack opened the magazine pouches on the operator's tactical gear, fishing for extra mags.

"Here." Jack handed over an additional two magazines to Farren. "You said it yourself; we're gonna need it…"

He returned his attention to the deceased combatant. He dropped to a knee and sighed. "You did your best, bud. Good work." Jack pat the corpse on the chest and grabbed the man's dog tags and the loaded magazine from his hand.

He stood up and climbed over the barricade.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here and finish up."

"With pleasure." Jack muttered, saddened by the grim image behind him.

They had not been walking for even a minute by the time they stopped once more.

"Hold up." Farren's hand shot up, giving the halt order.

Jack did what he was told and halted on the spot, keeping his rifle parallel to the ground. "What is it?"

"Heard something."

Jack turned his head, watching their back, assuming the noise Farren heard was similar to that of what they heard earlier down the hall.

"No, it wasn't back there. It was in front of us." Farren scanned the hallway to their front, his eyes trailing right to left.

Their attention was drawn to a shut door on the right side of the hallway. Light shifting could be heard beyond the steel door.

"Movement." Jack murmured.

"Let's clear it.' Farren moved to the door.

When the two soldiers stacked up on the door, the movement on the other side stopped. It had heard them. Whatever it was, it was probably preparing for their entry. Farren probed the door with his rifle. Sealed shut. Something was in there.

Farren carefully let his rifle hang and put both his hands on the sealing valve of the door. He looked up to Jack, who already stood with his rifle pointed at the door, ready to breach. They both nodded to each other, signaling that they were ready.

Farren twisted the valve rapidly, as fast as he could to try and get in the room quickly to deny anyone inside a chance to react and retaliate. Once the valve was fully rotated, Farren put his back to the wall.

"Go!" He yelled.

Jack squared off with the door, standing straight opposite of it, presenting his body armor to whoever or whatever was on the other side of that door. Jack raised his leg, feeding the door a swift kick with his boot. The door flung open, smashing into the wall within the confines of the room. Within a moment, the two Infantry soldiers swarmed in, rifles raised.

"CANADIAN FORCES! COME OUT AND DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" Farren shouted, announcing their identity and giving any hostiles a single chance to surrender.

The first thing that hit them was the stench. Jack coughed and fought the urge to puke, but kept his rifle up and forward.

Both Jack and Farren had their fingers on their triggers, ready to engage at any sign of hostile activity.

Two hands shot up behind a research counter in the center of the room. The two C7A2 barrels instantly tracked to the hands.

"Get up!" Farren yelled again.

"D-Don't shoot!" A lone figure rose up from behind the counter, hands raised. "I'm human!"

The odd comment caught Jack and Farren off guard.

"Identify yourself!"

"Doctor Brian Grove! I'm one of the researchers! Please don't shoot!"

The supposed scientist donned a blood-soaked lab coat and a torn, unbuttoned at the collar, shirt. The man shook in fear.

"Check fire." Farren gave the order and let his rifle hang. "Sir, we're with the Canadian Army, we're here to rescue you."

The man looked visibly relieved. "Thank god...I thought I was gonna die in here…"

Jack stood down and began to approach the man, reaching for his first aid kit.

"Are you alright, sir?" Jack asked.

"...I'm fine...I think…Thank you..." The man said, raising his hand.

"Jack, sweep the room then provide security on the door." Farren walked towards the Scientist.

"Roger that." Jack stepped away and began to search the room.

Behind the counter, a single scalpel was discarded on the floor. Jack theorized that the man was in fact armed when he and Master Corporal Farren breached. Smart. Jack thought to himself. He walked over a corner, noticing a bucket. The stench grew worse. Jack safely assumed that was the survivor's makeshift toilet.

"Damn that's gross…" He waved his hand in front of his nose, trying to waft away the smell to little effect.

A trail of blood caught Jack's attention, coagulating in the opposite corner of the room. A body rested in the corner with a lab coat draped over it. The small jacket failed to cover the corpse completely, revealing black combat boots and the top of a helmet. One of the Naval Boarding Party operators. Jack sighed and walked to the corpse and lifted the coat momentarily to grab the tags around the dead man's neck.

Farren looked the man over for injuries despite saying he was fine. "Are you injured at all, sir? Can you tell us what happened?"

"No injuries...I wish I could say the same about my colleagues...We were attacked."

Farren froze and exhaled from his nose. "By what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Indigenous creatures, I suppose."

"Are you the only survivor?"

"I believe so. I haven't left this room for a while. I was initially a part of a larger group of survivors led by some of the soldiers...they did their best."

"Tell me everything you can, we're gonna need all the intel we can get."

Jack moved to the door, peeking down both ends of the corridor while Farren sought information from the scientist.

"I can tell you everything once we get out of here! I've been stuck in here for god knows how long."

"Sir, we will extract you but not without knowing what we're walking into."

The man looked panicked, just now realizing the quantity of soldiers coming to his rescue.

"There are only two of you?!"

"Four, actually." Jack corrected sarcastically from the door.

"You need an army!" Doctor Grove shouted.

"Keep your voice down, we have no idea if the enemy is still here."

Grove began to sweat again. "Jesus this is crazy…"

"Now, what the hell are we dealing with?"

"As I said, I'd wager on Indigenous creatures. Savage animals...They swarmed the research team on the mainland then made their way to the Endeavour. We never stood a chance..."

"Oh shit..." Farren swiftly grabbed his radio and contacted Bryson. "Sir, it's Farren!"

"Go ahead, Farren." Bryson replied, sounding exceptionally bored with his men on the RHIBs.

"Sir, have you been able to get contact with the Brock or the Recce element?"

"Struggling to raise the Brock, I'm having the radio operator work on it. The Recce platoon checks in regularly. Why, what's goi-"

"Sir, possible hostile contact on the mainland, you need to alert that Platoon. They'll probably need backup too, sir!"

"What about you?"

"No hostiles yet Sir, positive ID on one survivor; a Doctor Grove from the research team. Just leave us a RHIB and a driver sir, and we'll make our way to you."

"God damn it, Farren. I better see you and your men real soon, no heroics, that's an order."

"Roger that, Sir." Farren ended the conversation and shoved his radio back into his pouch.

The tension was rising, and they hadn't even contacted the enemy yet.

"Can they be killed?"

"I-" Grove asked.

"Can they be killed!?"

"Yes! Yes, they can be killed!"

"How tough are these sons of bitches?"

"That soldier in the corner put at least five shots into one of them before it would die…" Grove said while pointing at the corpse in which Jack recovered the tags from.

"Jack! How many mags you got?" Farren asked while counting his own.

Jack opened his three, double stack magazine pouches, giving him easy access to six magazines. On the side of his vest, he had another double stack, adding two to his count. The emergency magazine in the inner pocket of his tactical vest plus the one already in his rifle gave him ten magazines.

"Rocking ten right now."

"I've got nine plus the additional two you gave me." Farren shut his magazine pouches. "That should be enough to get us to the bridge and back…"

"The Bridge!? It was overwhelmed! What if there are more of them around?"

"Then we kill _them_ before they kill _us._ "

"There are only two of you!"

"Four." Jack muttered in the background.

"You need to lead us to the bridge. Just stay behind me, give directions, stay ahead of my partner, we'll get you out unharmed.

"If it means I can get out of here...There are more of you, yes?"

"The entire first Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment is here to establish a foothold. So yes, there are more of us." Farren confirmed before walking over to Jack and peering out the door.

"Anything?"

"Nothing yet."

"Alright, let's get it done."

Jack moved into the hall, weapon drawn on the left-hand side while Farren took the right. Doctor Grove reluctantly followed the soldiers out of the room.

One last time, Master Corporal Farren grabbed his radio, checking up with Bravo team.

"Owens, it's Farren."

"Go ahead, Alpha."

"Found one times survivor, repeat; one times survivor. Anything on your end?"

"Negative. More bodies. We're getting close to the engine room though, so we'll be able to get the fuel."

"Acknowledged, we're en route to the bridge now. Keep me posted and be on the lookout for hostile contacts, survivor thinks they're still around."

"Roger that, good luck."

"You too, Bravo." He put the radio away again and turned to Doctor Grove. "Alrighty then, Doc. Where are we heading?"

The scientist looked around the corridor, analyzing markings, signs and using memory to map out the ship.

"We need to go forward and take a right at the next junction... I think...I'm sorry it's been a while cramped in there and everything happened so fast, we were running all over the place."

"It's alright, Doctor. Take your time. We'll get there." Jack said while looking over his shoulder.

"He's right. Just go off of what you remember, and we'll sort out the rest and get you out of here."

"...Okay. Well, then that's my best bet."

"Well, better than nothing. Let's go." Farren took point, just as he promised. He kept his weapon raised the entire time, not letting arm fatigue cause him to drop his guard for a single moment.

"Hey, Doctor…" Jack started while slowly advancing behind the small group of three. "Anything else you can tell us about the creatures you encountered?"

"I'm afraid I can't really tell you a lot. I wasn't on the mainland when first contact was made. From what I could see, they were midnight black with white, bone-like faceplate facial features. Bone white spikes also protruded from their bodies in some eyes had a distinct red-orange glow. Appearance wise, the best connection I can make with Earthly animals would have to be wild dogs, or wolves. However, these creatures are significantly larger and hulking. Sharper claws, sharper teeth…" Grove shuddered at the last two descriptions. "We never stood a chance."

Jack tried picturing their enemy in his head. "How'd they get on the ship?"

"What few patrol ships we brought were boarded on the shore. They waited for the ships to retreat to the Endeavour...showing signs of intelligence. We also spotted aerial units."

"Wait, what?" Farren stopped. "They have air support?"

"They're creatures, not soldiers like you! They aren't flying jets if that's what you think."

"Well, what are they?"

"Massive bird like specimen. They appear to be very similar to Crows or Ravens. Their giant claws tore the ship apart with ease. They also deployed spear-like feather quills that punctured the deck. You can imagine its mass judging by that."

"Giant birds! Great." Jack exclaimed sarcastically.

"Yes, well, it doesn't get much better I'm afraid. Some creatures were similar in design to the wolf-like ones, however, different in size, being closer to that of an American Black Bear."

"Heavy units, I'd assume." Farren shrugged.

"Smaller units also filled the ranks. Bipedal, no arms. Extremely fast, however. One final thing of note that I cannot confirm, the existence of aquatic creatures. Some of the patrol craft had torn hulls, causing them to sink. It's possible, but I can't be sure of it."

Jack thought back to the ride over from the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock, where he had been peering into the water, hoping to see some fish. Now he was glad that he did not.

When the team found the junction, they stuck to the right, following Grove's instructions. Farren had turned the corner slowly, confirming that they would not be walking into a hot spot of enemy contacts.

"It's clear. Where to next?"

"Umm...follow this path until we reach a T-junction, take a left, there should be the ladder to the deck in which the bridge is located. Should be a straight shot from there if I remember right. I only went up there once."

Once Farren and Grove stepped off, Jack didn't move. He stood still, rifle raised to their rear. He was staring intensively down the hallway.

"What is it?" Doctor Grove asked, noticing the younger soldier not moving.

"I saw something."

Farren stopped, not getting too far ahead.

"About forty meters to our rear, down the other hall at the junction. I saw movement. Saw the glow of the eyes too."

Grove shuddered, backing away slightly.

"We're being followed." Farren muttered, shaking his head in frustration. "Jack if you see that again you feed that son of a bitch a fourty mike-mike, understood?"

"Got it." Jack kept his eyes on the hallway for another few moments, watching for the two red orbs in the darkness. For now, it kept its distance.

However, as the three progressed, the feeling of being watched lingered over them. As the fear increased, the noises Jack had heard earlier increased, accompanied by scratches above and below them. Each step seemed to only bring more. After ten additional minutes of slow progression, Jack, Grove, and Farren reached the ladder, just as Grove had remembered.

"Good to know you work well under pressure, Doctor." Farren complemented before placing his boot on the first bar of the ladder. He pointed his rifles light upward, checking the immediate visual area of the ladder. Clear, for now.

"I'm going up, followed by you, Grove. Cover us, Carver."

Jack up a firing position, watching the narrow corridor for hostiles. Jack knew they were coming. He flicked the safety off of his weapon and his finger met the trigger, now awaiting the squeeze to come at the first sign of enemies.

Farren slowly climbed the ladder, using only one arm as his other provided light and kept the weapon trained on the opening to the next deck. When he reached the top, he peeked through the man-sized hole with his rifle resting on the floor of the next deck. The light illuminated the even thinner corridor. No immediate threat. Master Corporal Farren hoisted himself up and took a knee.

"Come on up, Doctor."

Doctor Grove hesitantly looked at the ladder, and then to Jack.

"It's alright, Doc. I'm right behind you."

The twitchy scientist began to climb.

"Farren." Owens' voice echoed in the corridor that Farren guarded.

"Go ahead." He responded.

"Lewis and I found the engine room, we're gonna start siphoning fuel from the remaining supply."

"Roger that. We're almost at the bridge. One siphon while the other watches. I don't want anyone getting hit from behind, things are getting tense up here."

"Copy that."

Jack blinked a couple times, swearing he saw movement once again at the end of the hall. He readied his M203 grenade launcher and prepared to fire. However, after observing for a couple moments, he failed to spot anymore movement.

"Son of a bitch…" Jack cursed under his breath.

Doctor Grove reached the next deck and tapped Farren on the shoulder, letting him know he was up

"Alright, Jack! Come on up!"

Jack rose to his feet again and slowly made his way to the ladder, not turning his back to the hallway. When his back hit the ladder, he waited a few more seconds before letting his rifle hang and turning to climb up. His gloved hands grabbed hold of the ladder, and his left leg stepped up to another bar.

As he began to climb, thumping could be heard storming down the hall, towards the ladder. Jack's heart skipped a beat. The enemy was making its move, and he was there with his back turned, hands off his weapon. Jack let go of the ladder, dropping to the steel floor where he instantly lifted his rifle, searching for the target. This was it, the first enemy Jack would ever fight and, hopefully, kill in his life.

His heartbeat raced until finally, the enemy creature's outline and glowing eyes could be spotted far down the hallway. Jack unloaded on the creature, squeezing the trigger multiple times, the flashes of the rifle illuminating the hall.

"Jack?!" Farren yelled, unaware of the encounter until the loud burst could be heard.

It seemed to only aggravate the beast as it started to charge! Any regular living thing would be long dead by the amount of rounds Jack had put into the creature. He froze, mouth agape. Jacked quickly recovered and switched to the M203.

"Try this!" He squeezed the trigger, sending the 40mm grenade flying out of the weapon. Jack immediately hit the deck to avoid shrapnel.

In theory, it was extremely dangerous and not recommended to fire the M203 grenade launcher in confined spaces. The weapon needed around fourteen or twenty-seven meters to arm properly and if it exploded, there was a chance shrapnel could injure the user. Luckily, the hostile was within the arming range and far enough away that the cone of the explosion would hopefully avoid sending shrapnel Jack's way. The high explosive grenade made direct contact with the target, exploding on impact. The sound was deafening and disoriented Jack for a moment. When he looked again, the creature was on the floor, dead.

" _That had to kill you…_ " Jack muttered while getting to his feet.

"Jack! Talk to me!"

"I'm okay! One hostile!"

"...Is it dead?!"

"Stand by!"

Jack approached the corpse, rifle raised. Shrapnel pierced the walls, floor and ceiling all around the dead hostile. If Jack had waited any longer, the fast creature surely would've closed the gap, moving into range in which the M203 would not arm if fired. Jack squinted and shone his light on the corpse. From what he could see, a black smoke emanated from the creatures corporeal form. Jack looked on in confusion while probing the body with his rifle, ensuring it was in fact, dead. He examined the corpse carefully. The description Doctor Grove gave was fairly accurate.

"It's dead!" He called out.

Once Jack finished looking over the beast, it hit him, he had just killed another worldly being. It sounded insane when he said it in his head. He turned to go for the ladder when he heard a loud roar at the end of the hallway. Followed by another. And another. And so on.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

He swiftly backed up towards the ladder with his rifle raised.

The red eyes appeared at the end of the hall, approaching fast. Jack flipped his rifle to automatic and held down the trigger, emptying the remainder of his first magazine. By the time the empty magazine hit the steel floor, a loaded magazine was slammed into the rifle.

"Jack, get the Hell up here!" Farren screamed over the gunfire.

The volley of fire failed to cease the enemy advance. Jack spun on his heel and sprinted for the ladder with the enemy on his tail. Farren lowered himself slightly into the opening, extending his hand.

"GO! GO!"

Jack boosted off of the first bar of the ladder, giving him enough height to grab Farren's hand. The Master Corporal caught the Soldier's hand and hoisted him up with all his might, narrowly escaping the claws of the enemy. The moment Jack was up, Doctor Grove shut the ladder hatch and sealed it tight.

"Holy shit!" Jack yelled while on his back.

"Farren! What the Hell is going on?" Owens shouted in the radio

"Private Carver made contact with the enemy. No casualties."

"Whoa, seriously?" Private Lewis' voice could be heard in the background of Owens' broadcast.

"Yeah, seriously. Tough sons of bitches by the look of it."

"Roger that! We're almost done here, we'll link up with you soon."

"Acknowledged, keep your eyes peeled, they're likely stalking you right now."

"Too close…" Farren muttered. "What the hell happened?"

Jack was on the floor, catching his breath. "Bastards got the jump on me! Grove was climbing, and I thought I saw something. I waited while taking aim and nothing happened so I went to follow you guys up and one of em' came running at me!"

"You good?" Farren observed the Private for injuries.

"Yeah, I think I'm good. Fed them a fourty mike-mike and a hail of bullets. They're tough for sure."

Grove put his ear up against the hatch, listening as they tried clawing their way in. "How are we gonna get out?

"I've got a thing for that!" Jack sat up, reaching into his fragmentation grenade pouch.

"Leave it for now. We'll deal with these guys later, we've got to get to the bridge."

Farren helped Jack to his feet and began to lead the three down the narrow hall, seeing the entrance to the bridge at the end.

Doctor Grove approached the door's right side and started to type codes into the chest height electronic panel.

"Tight security." Farren commented.

"Indeed." Grove nodded. "The things we were supposed to be studying are not to be seen by the public. It would cause panic if the masses knew that there was another world with violent creatures. Not to mention how involved other nations would want to be."

"True." Farren agreed. To the average citizen, fear would consume them. But these were not ordinary men.

The door unlocked, allowing the men to enter. The scene on the bridge was similar to every other room on the ship. Bodies littered the bridge, the viewports were smashed, showering the floor with glass. It seemed not one of the command crew survived the initial attack, leaving the remainder with no leadership.

"Carver, you're on tag duty, Grove, help me get any intel we can so we can get the hell off this nightmare."

Each man tended to their respective tasks. Jack stuffed all the dog tags he collected into a pouch on his tactical vest, determined to return them to the families of the fallen. Farren and Grove skimmed through the documents listed on the terminals and gathered navigation information. In general, anything that would prove to be useful for strategic planning was collected.

Suddenly, the eruption of distant gunfire interrupted their search. They all looked up toward the origin of the fire. At first it was a single weapon, then, a roar of automatic weapons fire, likely Corporal Owens' C9.

"Owens, report!" Farren yelled into his radio.

No response.

"We've gotta get over there!" Jack readied his weapon and voicing his concern for his friend and Corporal Owens.

Farren stood there, contemplating his next course of action. Did they have enough intel, could Owens and Jerome repel their enemies, would they be dead by the time he and Jack arrived. He was being forced to choose intel or his men.

The choice was clear.

Farren lifted his rifle.

" _Here we go._ "

* * *

 _A/N: And the tension mounts! A few additional items have been added to the glossary. We intend on maintain a schedule of uploading, however, with work and school that may impede upload dates! Don't worry though as we are dedicated to the production of the story._

Thank's for reading! Please feel free to drop a review or a PM if you liked the story, see you next chapter.

* * *

 **GLOSSARY OF TERMS**

 **RCR-** The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.

 **BATTALION-** An organization of rifle companies and a support company.

 **COMPANY-** An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon

 **PLATOON-** An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment

 **SECTION-** A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad")

 **FIRE TEAM-** A team of 2 soldiers

 **RECCE-** Reconnaissance soldiers, often broken up into "Elements" or "Platoons"

 **KLICK-** A Kilometer

 **EMP-** Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range

 **HELM/HELMSMAN-** Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. Helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgment calls on behalf of officers.

 **HMCS-** Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.

 **HMCS ENDEAVOUR-** Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK-** Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed wing aircraft.

 **LAV-** Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry

 **C7A2-** Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. 5.56x45mm round.

 **C8-** Carbine variant of the C7A2

 **M203-** Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade.

FOURTY **MIKE MIKE-** Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.

 **C9A2 LMG-** Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Remarkably similar to the US military M249

 **THE 9** \- Slang for the C9A2 LMG

 **RHIB** \- Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow


	3. Guns and Roses

_A/N: Volume 4 is live! We hope you enjoyed the first episode as much as we did! We're excited to see where Volume 4 takes the story of RWBY and Strangers in a Strange Land. We'd also like to thank everyone for the kind words left in the reviews, myself and Starwarsmast3r are glad that you are enjoying the story as much as we enjoy writing it!_

* * *

 **WOODS OF VALE**

 _"Still awake?"_

 _"Yeah…"_

 _"You okay?"_

 _"Not really."_

 _"Thinking about her?"_

 _"Every night."_

 _"We'll make this right, I know it."_

 _"How do you do it?"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"How do you put Weiss, Blake, and Yang out of your mind to carry on?"_

 _"I worry about them all the time. There isn't a day that goes by where I'm not wondering what Weiss is doing in Atlas, where Blake ran off to and why, and how my sister is coping since I left. But I know that we have to stop those responsible before they hurt anyone else."_

 _"You're right. But...I dunno it just seems to get worse every day we're out here."_

 _"Maybe. But there are still good people out there. People like us who will fight for the good of the world. You'll see. Maybe we'll even run into some on the journey."_

 _"How do you know?"_

 _"I just do."_

* * *

 **RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land**

 _Chapter 3: Guns and Roses_

* * *

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES  
** **WRECKAGE OF HMCS ENDEAVOUR  
** **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

Private Jack Carver reached into his grenade pouch, retrieving his one fragmentation grenade while approaching their original entry point. He wiped the sweat from his brow as his heartbeat quickened. The adrenaline was kicking in.

Farren and Jack locked eyes. Each could tell that the other was nervous, but they both knew what had to be done and how to keep calm. Farren nodded. Followed by Jack.

"Now!" Farren ordered.

Doctor Grove lifted the hatch slightly, leaving a gap wide enough for Jack to deploy his C13 Fragmentation Grenade. The creatures below roared, seeing their prey, sending them into a frenzy. Jack pulled the pin and released the spoon, arming the grenade.

"Frag out!" Jack yelled and dropped it between the gap.

Grove quickly sealed the hatch again to prevent fragments spewing onto their deck. The three men covered their ears as moments later, the grenade detonated, rocking the ship again.

"Now or never! Grove, stay behind us! You ready, Jack?"

"Let's do this!" Jack nodded.

The Doctor lifted the hatch to the lower deck one final time, allowing Jack and Farren to leap down past the now warped ladder into the decimated corridor. Most of the creatures had seemed to be severely injured, if not dead, from the grenade blast. Some moved around despite losing limbs. They howled and attempted to crawl towards the soldiers.

"Let em' have it!" Farren yelled and engaged the closest target; a beast missing a leg crawling towards him. He fired four rounds into the head of the creature before it fell limp on the floor.

Jack squeezed the trigger of his rifle, sending a few shots into a downed creature that the grenade had seemed to incapacitate.

"Not so tough now, are ya!?" Jack unleashed a volley of rounds into two charging targets coming to the aid of their fellow beasts from down the corridor. When the two creatures continued to charge, somewhat unaffected, Jack swapped magazines once again to his dismay. "Okay, maybe you are!" The closest creature swung at him, hurling its massive claws towards his upper torso.

Jack rolled, narrowly escaping the lunging creature. When he had recovered, he raised his rifle and swapped to automatic, blasting the creature's side with a plethora of rounds. It keeled over, succumbing to the hail of bullets. The second beast swatted Jack aside, sending the young soldier crashing into a steel bulkhead. Jack grunted loudly upon impact.

"Jack!" Farren fired on the agitated creature, who then swung for him.

"Ugh...Son of a bitch…" Jack recovered and swung his rifle like a bat at the Creature's hind leg while it was distracted with Farren. The savage animal collapsed from the hit. It had tried to turn and bite Jack, only to be put down by a shower of bullets from both men. While their immediate vicinity had quieted down, the unrelenting gunfire on the other end of the ship failed to cease.

"You good?" Farren asked, watching Jack stretch his back.

"Yeah...But I'm definitely gonna feel that tomorrow morning…"

Farren shook his head with a small grin, amazed that Jack was still cracking jokes despite the situation. "Get down here, Grove! Time to go!" Farren yelled up, wishing to move along.

Moments later, Doctor Grove climbed down the malformed ladder and followed the men, who had broke into a run.

"Owens! Lewis! Sound off!" Farren screamed into his radio again, still failing to get a response.

"They're in the thick of it!" Jack could safely assume by the wave of rounds being fired in the distance.

"Yeah, something tells me we're gonna be too! Fix bayonets!" Farren commanded while reaching for his blade.

Jack grabbed his bayonet, which was attached to his tactical vest via its own respective carrier. He removed the blade from the sheath and fixed it to the end of his rifle, increasing the weight even more in addition to the M203 Grenade launcher. While Jack had experimented with this exact set up during his basic training, he hardly found it amusing now that he had to use it in a real scenario.

Owens' C9 had stopped firing judging by the lull in automatic weapons fire at the stern end of the ship. Jack's heart sank, believing his comrade to be dead. However, moments later, the gun erupted once again, echoing the halls. He must have been reloading, Jack thought. Each time either weapon stopped firing, he had to assume they were either killed or caught reloading, taking a toll on his nerves that were acting up every few minutes.

"Please, slow down!" Doctor Grove pleaded, breathing heavily.

"Come on, Doc! You can do-" Jack turned, spotting a creature right on their tail. "DOC, GET DOWN!"

Jack spun on his heel and sprinted towards the doctor's position, charging with his bayonet. Doctor Grove turned and also spotted the red eyes of the creature fixated on him. He dived onto his stomach and covered his head at the command of the soldier charging towards him.

"ARGH!" Jack dashed past the cowering doctor and thrust his rifle into the chest of the beast. He continued his assault by holding down the trigger, rounds blasting out the back of the monster. The beast roared but soon fell limp towards Jack, who wrenched his rifle from its chest.

"...T-Thank you…" Doctor Grove panted, observing the dead creature.

"No problem, Doc. Let's go!" Jack helped him to his feet and sped up to catch up with Farren.

"Master Corporal Farren!" Lewis' voice came in through the radio, drowned out by hundreds of rounds firing off.

"Lewis! Talk to me!" Farren picked up speed, hearing the fear in Lewis' voice.

"We made contact! We've got the fuel, but they're overwhelming us! We can't hold them!"

"We're coming! Get the hell outta there, now!"

Jack ran as fast as his feet could carry, his boots stomping across the steel floors of the Endeavour. He sped past a junction, failing to notice the Beast charging at the group from a conjoining corridor. The black creature knocked Jack away and pinned Master Corporal Farren to the floor, attempting to maul him with its massive fangs.

"Damn it!" Farren held the beast's head back as its jaw snapped, getting closer every moment.

"Farren!" Jack yelled, getting up off the floor, and charged the creature, slamming into it with his sheer body weight to knock it off of his leader. While the creature was down, Jack plunged his bayonet into the beast and drew his Browning Hi-Power from its holster to conserve his C7 ammo. He cocked the pistol and fired off the entire 9mm magazine to kill the attacker. When the final round struck the beast's head, Jack dumped the empty magazine and loaded a new one before shoving the handgun back into its holster and retrieving his primary weapon from the dead enemy.

Farren got to his feet after watching the scuffle unfold.

"You alright?" Jack looked at his section commander, who patted himself down for injuries.

"I'll live. Thanks for the save, kid." Farren kicked the corpse of the dead foe before proceeding once again, now checking his corners more carefully.

"Anytime." Jack nodded and followed Farren once more after checking that Doctor Grove was still with them. He was, but fatigued greatly. "Still breathing, Doc?"

"Barely…" Grove responded, breathing heavily.

"Here." Jack retrieved his canteen and handed it to Grove. "Drink up, you're probably dehydrated after being in there for so long."

The Doctor tore the cap off the plastic olive-drab canteen like a starving animal and arched his head back, taking in mass amounts of water. Jack couldn't blame him, knowing full well how important water was in order to survive.

Grove handed the Canteen back to Jack, almost depleted entirely. "I'm sorry." He said sheepishly.

"No worries, Doctor. We're surrounded by water, I'll stock up once we're out!" Jack stashed the canteen away and broke into a run, realizing their situation was still critical.

"I don't advise consuming salt water, Private Carver." The doctor said with a raised brow while catching up.

"I was kidding, Doc." Jack held back a laugh.

Shouting within earshot cut off their conversation, followed by more gunfire.

"We're close! Let's pick it up!" Farren ordered.

"Hold up!" Jack yelled over the loud engagement.

"What?" Farren halted right before another junction.

"Hear that?" Jack lifted his weapon, pointing towards the rightmost corridor of the four-way intersection. Thumping footfalls stormed towards them. "This is the way we came. Meaning that's either Lewis and Owens coming here to get the Hell out, or that's the enemy. And I think we should have the jump on them if it's the latter!"

It made sense. Farren nodded and lifted his rifle and stepped back from the corner, ready to ambush the next thing to come around the corner. Jack moved to Farren's left, adding another weapon to their ambush. The dual C7's were nearly around the corner, allowing the soldiers to fire on hostile targets should they need to.

The stomping grew closer, now shaking the steel floor where they stood. Jack's grip got tighter on his weapon, almost tempted to fire preemptively to kill the enemy. His restraint, however, was rewarded. When the first figure ran into the intersection, Jack and Farren approached, pointing rifles.

"CHECK FIRE!" Owens yelled upon seeing the barrels of friendly rifles shoved in his face.

Lewis cleared the corner soon after, carrying a jerry can of fuel in one hand, and his weapon in the other. His pack was filled with another two as well. Owens had a similar load.

"Damn it, Sam! I almost shot you in the face!" Farren let out a sigh of relief.

"Great talk! But those things are right on our ass!" Owens dropped to his stomach, deploying the bipod of his C9 Light Machine Gun. He was breathing heavily, similarly to Grove. Both Owens and Lewis had been running for a considerable distance all while carrying their weaponry and the added weight of multiple jerry cans.

"Gimme that, buddy." Jack took the jerry can that Lewis carried in his arms. He immediately felt the weight straining his arm.

Jerome extended his aching arm, finally being able to move it again. He groaned in pain. "Damn that was heavy..."

"We can't stay here long. Grove, grab that jerry can Owens was carrying, he can't any longer."

"Of course." Grove rushed to the fatigued Corporal's side, taking the Jerry can.

"Is this enough?" Jack asked aloud.

"Enough or not, it's what they're getting." Farren said while handing over two magazines to Lewis, who was chugging his canteen.

"Here they come!" Owens yelled and fired off the C9 in bursts, instantly lighting up the dark hallway.

Jack, Lewis, and Farren joined in, cutting down the advancing creatures. In the corner of his eye, Jack caught a swarm of beasts coming from their left, flanking them.

"Contact left!" He turned, engaging the new threat.

"Forget this!" Farren smacked Owens on the back. "Fall back! Head for the Exfil point!"

Owens lifted his C9, still firing at the advancing mob. The Group slowly moved back.

"Jack! Hit em' with the Fourty Mike-Mike!" Farren screamed over the hail of bullets.

"Roger! Take cover!"

The three other soldiers and Grove found cover in an open doorway while Jack stood in the middle of the hall, prepping his launcher. He pulled the trigger, launching another 40mm grenade. This time, he dove into the doorway, avoiding the explosion. The grenade detonated moments later, rocking the soldiers to the floor.

"Get up and go!" Farren shouted and lifted his men to their feet. Farren was the first out the door and began to shoot the surviving, and still charging, targets. Some creatures had their spikes blown off, puncturing their allies' bodies, but in no way slowing them down. Others had chunks of their bodies missing or fragmented, but it seemed only to enrage them as they picked up in speed. Their roars echoed through the halls, louder than Owens' C9.

"GO!" Farren screamed louder, pushing the soldiers further and further. With tremendous speed, the group reached the initial point of entry. As promised by Lieutenant Bryson, a lone RHIB with a single soldier operating it waited idly in the hull breach.

"Come on!" The lone man yelled, readying his weapon.

The four soldiers and the doctor sped onto the catwalk, the creatures following them in. The soldier on the RHIB opened fire on the pursuing targets. Corporal Owens turned around and fired off the rest of his ammo belt into the closing enemies while the remainder, starting with Doctor Grove, piled into the boat.

"Jack! Prep another fourty! Finish these bastards off!" Farren hit Jack on the shoulder before returning to the firefight.

The RHIB craft slowly reversed, navigating its way out of the mangled hull of the HMCS Endeavour. All soldiers spare the driver fired relentlessly into the biomass of snarling and howling creatures flooding out from the single door. They climbed over each other's corpses, diving into the water, desperately trying to reach the soldiers. Jack reached into his belt and grabbed another 40mm and loaded it into the tube.

"On my mark, hit that doorway!" Farren yelled once he heard the 40mm Grenade being loaded.

Jack balanced himself on the shaking boat, hot brass from other weapon systems falling all around him, if not hitting him directly. His finger found the trigger of the M203 once again, ready to rain havoc upon the assaulting creatures.

"Now!"

Jack pulled the trigger, sending the projectile soaring through the air, leaving the vicinity of the RHIB, passing into the hull breach and making contact against the catwalk doorway. The typical detonation was replaced with a slightly larger, fiery explosion which in turn ignited the catwalk, and the enemy, in flames.

"What the Hell?" Jack muttered.

"Oh." Doctor Grove murmured. "I must have spilled a little bit of the fuel."

Jack watched the doctor fumble to tighten the cap on the jerry can, hoping that a significant portion of the fuel was not lost to a mere accident. At least it looked cool.

"That was badass." Lewis admired the flames after catching his breath.

"Take us to the mainland, double time!" Farren pat the driver on the shoulder.

The RHIB sped away from the Endeavour, leaving the creatures and the horrific scenes within behind. Jack placed his rifle down against the side of the RHIB and removed his helmet. His ears were ringing from the gunfire, and his mind raced from the nature of the engagement and the barbaric images on the Endeavour. The smell of gunpowder, rotting bodies and burning steel harassed his sense of smell. He hunched over the edge of the RHIB, ready to throw up if he had to. Nothing came. Jack dipped his hands in the water and splashed his face, attempting to cool off. Every man had seemed to take a seat and try to temporarily relax during their ride to the mainland, all except for Farren, who desperately spoke into his radio, trying to reach Lieutenant Bryson who failed to respond. The silence racked Jack's nerves as much as it did Farren's.

"Jack?" Jerome rubbed Jack's shoulder, trying to catch the attention of his stunned friend.

Jack did not respond and instead watched Grove carefully. The Doctor, who had somewhat kept his composure on the ship, was hunched over in the corner of the RHIB, hugging his legs and muttering to himself.

"Jack." Jerome shook the young man, finally getting a response out of him.

"Yeah?" He responded nonchalantly.

"...You good, man?" Concern lingered in his expression and tone of voice.

"Yeah, don't worry about me. Just coming to grips with what just happened. It's Grove and the Lieutenant I'm worried about."

"Poor guy's been through a lot, but you and Farren got him out. Good job."

"Thanks. Nice work on the fuel, bud. Risky business." Jack pat Jerome on the shoulder, being sure to distribute the praise to an equally difficult task.

"No big deal, I only killed a couple hundred." Jerome cockily brushed his shoulders, exaggerating the number of enemies he dealt with.

"Bullshit! I got the hundred!" Owens yelled from across the RHIB.

The three soldiers laughed.

"Hey, Carver." Owens stood up. "How many did you-"

A Single shot rang out.

The passengers fell silent, and the RHIB engine stopped running. The men stood up, all looking in the direction that they believed the sound originated from; the tree line on the mainland.

Another shot, and another.

Farren's eyes widened. His arm holding the radio slacked, dropping to his side. "Oh no."

Loud shouting and multiple shots could be heard, coming from the mainland. A handful of single shots.

"Go." Farren said. He turned to the terror-stricken RHIB operator who had a similar look of dismay to that of the other men.

"GO!" Farren screamed.

The RHIB engine started up again, and the craft picked up speed quickly, closing the distance to the mainland. The single shots quickly turned into a barrage of automatic weapons fire. Single rifles turned to fireteams. Fireteams swiftly transformed into sections, turning up the volume of fire. Soon, it sounded like a damn war. As if every weapon in the platoon was firing. C9 automatic fire lit up the darkening wood line, and the C6 general purpose machine gun mounted atop the LAV III that the Recce Platoon took, boomed loudly. The amount of fire dished out onboard the HMCS Endeavour was nothing in comparison to the light show occurring on the shore.

"Guess that answers why the Lieutenant wasn't responding!" Owens yelled and loaded another belt into his C9. He cocked the weapon and placed it on safe, ready to provide heavy fire.

"We got the answering machine while they were taking house calls from the enemy!" Lewis checked his mags after cracking another odd joke. He had used a significant portion during the escape, but he had enough to last the subsequent firefight.

Jack opened another pouch on his twelve round, 40mm grenade belt. He took note that the M203 was highly effective against the creatures and was bound to use it again, and opted to load it preemptively. Jack splashed his face with water once more before strapping his helmet to his head. Here we go again.

"Farren!" Bryson's voice was barely audible through the feedback on the radio.

"Sir! What the Hell is going on?!"

"Enemy contact!" A burst of automatic fire was audible near the Lieutenant. "Hey! Contact on the left! Shoot that bastard!" Another blast rang out.

"Sir?" Farren fished for a reply from the Platoon commander.

"Where the Hell are you, god damn it?"

"We're on our way, sir! We've got the fuel from the Endeavour!"

"Acknowledged. Once you get here, send that RHIB back to the Brock! They need that fuel, or we are screwed! I'm gonna try raising the Brock again. Get here quick, Farren, these bastards are everywhere!"

"Copy that, Sir! We're on it!" Farren turned to his troops. "Alright, you heard the man. Our boys are getting hit, so we're gonna get over there and make these freaks learn the RCR's name! Hooah?"

"Hooah!" The soldiers chanted.

"You." Farren pointed to the RHIB driver. "Make sure Doctor Grove and the fuel are returned safely to the Brock. You encounter any inhuman sonuva bitch dumb enough to get in your way, you blast him straight to Hell, got it?"

"Roger that, Master Corporal." The operator nodded.

Jack lifted his rifle and found his place next to Farren.

He lifted his tree line into the air, barrel pointing upwards with the weapon leaning against his shoulder. "Who's ready for round two?"

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY  
** **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC  
** **MARPAC  
** **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ**

The bridge crew of the Brock was dead silent, a stark contrast to the ongoing combat the Recce platoon was enduring. Some didn't dare look up, others closed their eyes in disbelief. They listened in on a small radio, propped up on the front, center console. The radio was receiving a vivid telling of the combat from one of the platoon's LAV antenna.

"Helm, how far out are we." Dietz turned towards the helmsman station, bracing his head upon his left hand. He wasn't interested in hearing any more of the ongoing combat on shore.

"We can be on station in ten minutes, sir. Any advance mission requests?"

"Perform the pre-flight checks of the CF-18's for a fire mission. I want the Predator fueled and on the elevator as soon as the reactor heats up." The helmsman nodded and connected to the flight officer in the hangar. Dietz turned towards his XO, who was smacking his phone on his palm. Incidentally, his phone never turned back on after the EMP unlike so many others aboard. "Mike, did Scotty say how long it would take for the power to cycle to the reactor?"

"About 2 minutes, give or take. Don't go asking him about it, though...I learned my lesson." Mike crossed his arms in dissatisfaction at the very thought of the earlier lecture.

"RCR is going to need every bit of support we can muster. That means I'm going to need all of you at your best. RCR needs you at your best."

"Sir, the anomaly is discharging!" The Officer of the Watch yelled into the bridge

"What?! Let me see." Dietz sprung out of his chair and moved to the starboard watchpoint on the side of the bridge. As he approached his Officer of the Watch, he took the binoculars from his hand and peered down the lens toward the anomaly."My God…" Dietz lowered the binoculars and witnessed the event with his own eyes. The anomaly was discharging a purple and blue colored charge, shooting out ten to fifteen feet.

"What's happening, sir?" The watchman retrieved his binoculars from this commanding officer, waiting for a response

"Whatever it is, it's not good. We need power, now more than ever. Raise me Lieutenant Bryson on comms, he will want to hear this."

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES  
** **PLANET'S SURFACE  
** **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **PLATOON COMMANDER  
** **LT. BRYSON**

They had come out of nowhere. While Farren had warned them of possible contact, there was nothing they could do to prepare for an enemy force this size with a lack of communications with the Brock and the few men that they had. The dark creatures with bone-like appendages swarmed the Recce platoon that was already deep in the forest. The Infantry troops had managed to catch up and provide reinforcements, for whatever it was worth, however, the overwhelming enemy numbers had forced the group of soldiers to progressively push back out of the forest and back onto the coastline.

Lieutenant Bryson himself had to ready his weapon and engage the enemy, which spoke to how close the enemy was, and how dire the situation was becoming. His C7A2 roared and spewed dozens of rounds at the beasts, to little effect.

"Son of a bitch…" Bryson muttered upon seeing the ineffective shots make contact.

"Lieutenant Bryson, this is Brock Actual. Come in."

Bryson fired off an additional three rounds before letting his rifle hang from its sling. The Lieutenant drew his sidearm and cocked it, knowing full well he would more than likely need to defend himself during the radio conversation. He lifted the radio to his mouth, surprised that the radio was finally working.

"Brock Actual, this is 2-1 Sunray, your voice is the best goddamn thing I've heard all day! Go ahead!"

"Be advised, the anomaly is closing. Prepare your men for possible discharge."

A creature, smaller in nature, rushed the Platoon commander. Bryson lifted his sidearm and lined up the sight post with the target. He squeezed the trigger multiple times, dropping the beast mere meters from where he stood. A chill traveled down his spine, worse than it already had been.

"Say again your last, Brock Actual!? Did you say the anomaly is closing?"

"Brock Actual confirms. The anomaly is closing. Brace for possible discharge."

Lieutenant Bryson felt a familiar feeling; uncertainty. Similar to that of when he had first learned of the anomaly's existence. He turned around, looking off into the distance towards the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock, more specifically; the anomaly behind it. The gateway in and out of this hellish world. If it closed, he and his men would be trapped here, and he'd never see his wife-to-be ever again. His grip tightened around his weapon, and his teeth ground together in sheer anger. They'd find a way out, but for now, he had to focus on the battle.

He turned and fired his handgun at the approaching enemy. "Take em' out!"

No matter how many they killed, the dark creatures seemed to be endless.

Bryson holstered his pistol and ran to the LAV, opening the rear hatch. "Hey! Fire the bloody 25mm! These things are getting a lot closer than I'd like!"

The gunner turned around, seeing the Lieutenant of the Infantry platoon barking commands. "Roger that sir!" The trooper manned the controls, firing off decimating rounds of 25mm from the armored vehicle's primary weapon.

Bryson rejoined the battle, hoping Farren and his men would soon join them. While four people wouldn't generally make a significant difference. But, the Lieutenant had faith in Master Corporal Farren and his men. If they had survived the Endeavour without casualties, they'd surely be useful in the open battle for the mainland.

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES  
** **PLANET'S SURFACE  
** **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

The RHIB came to a halt at the beachhead, allowing the four soldiers to leap out, weapons up. Farren turned and shoved the craft back into the water, enabling the operator to take the fuel and Grove back to the Brock.

"Find the Lieutenant! Move!"

Their boots left wet imprints on the sand as they followed the deep tire marks of the LAV III.

"Just follow the flash!" Owens pointed to the tree line.

The sky darkened, allowing the tracer rounds and muzzle flashes to light up the forest. The outlines of soldiers, the LAV, and the enemy could be seen during the brief, albeit rapid flashes.

Suddenly, the 25mm cannon on the LAV opened up, shaking the ground at their feet. The beat of the weapon rocked their cores like amped up music. However, this was much more intense and life threatening.

As if on cue, the LAV III reversed out of the woodline, firing as it did. The C6 gunner on top moved the weapon sporadically, splashing the area in front of him in heavy fire. The 25mm blew trees apart and sent dirt meters into the air. Multiple troops exited the tree line as well, slowly backing up while shooting into the darkness.

"Fall back!" A call came out, forcing the troops back even further.

Jack spotted Lieutenant Bryson locked in battle next to the LAV that was peeling back from the trees. He and three other soldiers unloading on a massive beast, the bear-esque creature that Doctor Groove mentioned on the Endeavour. The creature only seemed to be angered by the barrage striking its mass. It swatted the Lieutenant aside, sending the yelling officer crashing towards Farren and his team.

"Oh shit!" Jack had no time to react. Lieutenant Bryson made contact with Jack, knocking them both down. They grunted loudly, sharing the pain.

"Sir!" Farren helped Bryson to his feet.

Bryson wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve and brushed it off as nothing. He extended his hand out to Jack, who was on his back in the sand.

"Come on, Soldier!"

Jack looked up the man, shocked at how quickly he recovered as if the attack did nothing to him.

"Yes, sir!" Jack gripped his hand, getting yanked to his feet.

"What's the situation?" Farren asked while observing the playing field. It did not look good. Left and right troops were getting swatted away like flies by the larger beasts, while the smaller ones gave soldiers lacerations from their claws and fangs.

"The situation is screwed. I'm calling it. I'm getting our troops back on the RHIBs and off the mainland!"

Farren grit his teeth. He did not like the idea of falling back, ever.

"I'm not letting my men and the Recce Platoon get slaughtered, George! We've taken too many casualties as it is! I've got severely wounded and near death troops sitting in the back of that LAV and they need to get back to the Brock for medical attention!"

Farren looked around, seeing every able bodied man either fighting or dragging injured comrades to the LAV.

"Carver, Lewis!" Farren pointed at the two men. "Reinforce that left flank, you cover those men! Cut those bastards down before they get at em'!"

"Got it!" Jack and Jerome sprinted to the left-hand flank of the LAV to join the defence.

"We can get back out here tomorrow with a company or more for all I care, but we won't see that tomorrow if we don't fall back." Bryson put a hand on Farren's shoulder.

"Okay." Farren complied, if reluctantly. "Owens, on me. Let's get to the right side!"

The other two soldiers moved, leaving Lieutenant Bryson to observe the losing battle they fought. He had opted not to tell his men that the portal was closing, out of fear they'd shut down amidst the fight. It would only make it worse. Bryson hoped he had made the right choice.

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY  
** **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC  
** **MARPAC  
** **LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MIKE KENDALL**

Kendall opened the door to Dietz' cabin. Like with many things in the Navy, Kendall wasn't a fan of unnecessary doctrine. Like his commanding officer, Kendall had changed out of his service uniform in lieu of a more fitting Naval Combat Uniform. Instead of posh suits and service caps, the crew was permitted to switch to a more comfortable set of dress that suits each trade the best. For officers that included a baseball cap with their rank insignia on the brim and a blue dress shirt with room for name tape and epaulets. For Dietz, he preferred the more traditional black sweater overtop a white dress shirt and tie. Kendall closed the door behind him and leaned to the right of the doorway, looking upon Dietz who was pouring himself a bottle of Brandy at his desk.

"Drinks, this early in the morning? Sun's barely risen back home." Kendall crossed his arms and took a more relaxed posture upon the wall

"Yet it's still shining here. Care for a glass?" Dietz held out a small glass for Kendall to accept. Kendall agreed, holding it still for Dietz to pour in the contraband drink.

Dietz held up his glass, signifying a toast to his XO "Here's to success."

"Success? We just got here, and our only bastion of hope is dead in the water. If you consider that success well, we must've landed on different planets."

"Mike, we traveled to a new world through a transdimensional portal, and are still living to tell the tale. That's cause for celebration."

"Fair point, cheers" The men tapped their glasses together, and each took sips from their respective glasses. "Say, didn't you wager this same bottle to that yank on the Pennsylvania?"

"Mike, please. This bottle is older than you are, I wasn't going to hand it over to some cheating prick in a submarine. Besides, the portal is closed. What's he gonna do?"

"Well, for starters, he might just skip the exercise and sink us for the trouble."

While Canadian officers would often bash American officers and vice versa, it was merely friendly banter familiar to that of National allies to whom they respected.

"I'd like to see him try." Both men continued to finish their drinks, sipping in silence as to avoid a growing elephant in the room. After closing and storing the Brandy, Dietz pulled up 2 chairs at his desk and signaled Kendall to take a seat across from him. Taking the last sip out of his drink, Kendall moved the chair, turning it around backward and taking a seat like a detective looking to interrogate his suspect. "So what can I do for you, Mike? I know you did not come here to drink my alcohol and belittle our friends down south."

"I want you to answer me something." Kendall crossed his arms on the back of his chair and rested his chin on his arm. Dietz chuckled and put the glasses away, acting like he was told a joke. Kendall's expression didn't change.

"Last time a conversation like this started, you wanted me to haul your ass out a JAG investigation for...what was it again? Ah yes, You trashed the kitchen in Meaford while the Algonquin was being serviced. You lost it on the Chef for overcooking your meal, and you dragged along three NCM's to help."

"Spare me. You know as well as I do, those army chefs did it on purpose because they thought we were Coast Guard. All we wanted to do was pay back the favor. Poor Batey had diarrhea for weeks."

"Your point? You did not come here to talk about Batey or the mistreatment of the Coast Guard."

"Your right. I realized, after our talk last week that it's almost been a year since…"

"Mike I'm hurt. I offer you fifty-year-old Brandy, and you come in here to rip open old wounds."

"My concern is that said wounds haven't healed yet."

"Well, that's none of your concern."

"I think it is my concern. You should be retired Will, soaking up your well-earned DND pension. Not stuck with us and a thousand of our closest friends from RCR."

"Mike, I was Navigation Officer on the HMCS Bonaventure. I'm the best qualified for running this ship. Navy wouldn't have it any other way."

"You were what, 18 when they shipped her off to Thailand?"

"19 actually."

"Back to my point. You're 65 years old and still in the Navy. We both know Ottawa isn't keeping you here, your oversized ego is. Have you even gone to see her?"

"What's the point? She hasn't changed in the last year."

"Oh, I dunno. Because you're married and have a kid together?"

"What the Hell do you want from me, Mike?" You did a minor in psychology, don't try to act like you're my shrink."

"What are you afraid of Will? Your wife? The kid? Both?"

"Does it make a difference?"

"When we arrived in Guam two months ago, Helmsman McCord told me you didn't leave the ship. I'd wager you didn't even leave the bridge."

"And what does that tell you, Doctor Phil?"

"It tells me you're hiding something."

"What do you want to hear, huh? That I'm not fit to command? You want the chair that bad?"

"I didn't say that…"

"Dammit, Mike. I'm a coward. That what you want to hear?" Dietz got out of his chair and walked towards his bed, running his hands through his silver tinted hair.

"You're not a coward." Kendall got up from his chair, although not moving as to not upset his officer.

"You're damn straight I am." Dietz sat down on the end of his bed, crossing his arms over his knees and putting his head in his lap. Kendall swore he could hear a faint sniffle. "You know, it's kinda funny. I've run anti-piracy missions with the UN in the Horn of Africa, Shadowed Soviet ships in the Black Sea, Hell, I was in the room with Chrétien when we decided to go to Afghanistan. Yet I can't man up to see my wife who's in a coma or my son who's less than a year old. I can't bare to come to terms with my own reality, yet I actively try to deny its existence."

"You blame yourself?"

That set Dietz off. Springing off the bed and putting a dent in the filing cabinet nearby "Who else is to blame, Mike? I took that last deployment. I wasn't there to defend my family!"

"That bastard broke into your house, knowing full well that they were home alone and you wouldn't be there to defend them." Kendall moved towards the bed, sitting next to Dietz

"I failed my family Mike. I don't deserve any pension or solace. I'm right where I need to be. Where I deserve to be, if not in the locker."

"So what? You went to Ottawa, use the same contacts that got me out of that mess with JAG to extend your commission because, what? You feel sorry for yourself?"

"Feel sorry for myself? I wasn't there when she found out she was pregnant and I wasn't there when he was born. If I didn't see the pictures, I would've thought he was someone else's kid." After a long pause of silence, the captain's phone on his desk rang to break the awkward pause. Acknowledging the near fragile state of the Captain, Kendall got up to answer the call

"I'll take it for you Commodore" As Kendall reached for the phone, Dietz' hand swiped the phone from is console and put his hand over the speaker.

"I'd have to be dead." Kendall was almost dumbstruck. Not a minute ago the captain was almost in tears about his family, now acting like a completely different person for the crewmember on the other line. If only he knew. "Dietz." The captain said, removing his hand from the speaker "Alright...Good...Tell her I'll be right up." Dietz hung up the phone and turned to Kendall who was still marveled about the captain's sudden change in attitude. "That was McCord, Knight is inbound with the fuel. Get to the CIC and control ops from there, I think it's time we show these sons of bitches who they're messing with."

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES  
** **PLANET'S SURFACE  
** **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE  
** **  
1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

"Ugly on your left!" Jack yelled at a soldier next to him. Both men sprayed the two-legged creature, dropping it with well-placed shots to the head.

It was dark now. The only light came from the muzzle flashes of Canadian rifles and the glowing eyes of the enemy. Most of the wounded men had been loaded onto the LAV, allowing the contingent of soldiers to start progressively backing up towards the RHIBs. To turn tail and run outright would allow the enemy to give chase and eventually cut down the remaining foot soldiers. Therefore, the current tactic of move and shoot was the best option.

"Would be great if we could get some damn air support!" Lewis shouted over the gunfire to Jack.

"They're working on it!" Jack was confident it was coming. "The question is, are they gonna be able to differentiate us from the freaks?"

"Maybe they'll just look for the flashes? I dunno, your guess is as good as mine!"

The ground shook abruptly and the trees to the immediate front of the platoon split. A massive creature smashed its way through the woods towards their position. The beast emerged, displaying its enormous black body with a white exoskeleton. In comparison, the creature resembled a scorpion. However, this 'thing' had enormous claws and an orange glowing stinger. It made a Leopard 2A4M main battle tank look tiny in size.

"What the Hell is that!?" Jerome yelled, immediately fixating his fire on it.

"Giant devil scorpion!? Who cares?! Just kill it!" Jack fired his M203 into the beast, having zero effect whatsoever.

The LAV's cannon and C6 immediately fired on the giant scorpion, agitating the monstrosity. It's massive stinger strode forward, attempting to strike the LAV. The armoured vehicle reversed, narrowly avoiding the sharp, glowing appendage.

The one Carl Gustav rocket launcher that the Platoon had launched a high explosive warhead at the scorpion detonating upon impact. The creature was knocked back, but not disabled. Even with the combined fire of the LAV, Carl G, and multiple section level weapons, the large enemy unit advanced towards the retreating soldiers.

"Now would be a perfect time for that air support!" Jack screamed while prepping another 40mm, running low on munitions.

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE  
** **  
ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY  
** **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC  
** **MARPAC  
** **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ**

The bridge crew waited patiently at their stations. Fear and anger were the primary emotions circulating the crew. They waited, knowing that the ship finally had its fuel. Due to a lack of air conditioning, the ship had become a multi-million dollar sauna. Some of the crew had removed layers from their uniform to let out heat. Still, for those manning consoles throughout the bridge, small pools of sweat started to form at their feet. Soon the power would be back on, and they could join the first campaign; albeit late, but still present. Below decks, in the flight hangar, crews wheeled their newest toy onto the elevator to the flight deck and did pre-flight checks on both CF-18 aircraft to save time. Per captain's orders, their new drone named the Sea-Avenger was capable of being launched from a carrier and negated the need to communicate VIA satellite because of the custom relay atop the Brock's island. The Avenger was faster, stealthier and capable of higher altitudes and a variety of operations from reconnaissance to precision strikes. Dietz frantically tapped his left foot, waiting for a sign that Scotty's plan was working. As Dietz reached for a bottle of water from the console to his right, he noticed that it was portraying a bluish tint. Seconds later, white text rolled down the screen. As Dietz turned around, he saw the rest of the crew noticed as well. Scotty's plan paid off, the emergency generators had finally kicked in, and soon enough; the reactor.

"Helm, status?" Dietz spun his chair to face the helmsman. The ship's red lights shone across the ship's decks, providing minimal lighting to the crew.

"Hydraulic pressure building in the rudder, RPM's staying steady at 500 sir." Diez put on a grin after hearing some good news, at last. Damn beautiful work Scotty Dietz thought, turning back towards his console.

Dietz reached for the white telephone on the console in front of him, dialing the last crucial piece of the puzzle "CIC, status?"

"Receiving sir. All stations are receiving power. The Mark 45 and CIWS are online and calibrating. The RAM is serviced and ready to fire on your command." The comms officer replied, recalibrating the necessary instruments.

The ship was maintained upon returning to Halifax with the newest in naval armaments. A RIM-166 Rolling Airframe Missile system for surface to air defence, a MK. 15 CIWS to destroy incoming projectiles, and the creme de la creme; a 5-inch/62 caliber Mark 45 that can fire 20, 127mm HE shells for offensive capabilities. The Brock was, and remains the spear of the Royal Canadian Navy.

"Good. Start sweeping surface and air radar for hostiles. Power Active Sonar and get me depth readings." Dietz hung up the phone and turned back to his helmsman. "Helm, all ahead flank three, get us to that Recce platoon."

"Yes, sir." He replied, turning the ships revolution lever and ship's propellers began rotating after hours of dormancy. As the engines fired up, power circulated through to the core, waking the reactor from its sleep. Like a bear after hibernation, it woke, roaring as steam rushed through the pipes. The Brock was alive and well. And most of all; ready for a fight. The red emergency lights quickly turned to their usual, bright states, shining light on all decks. However, possibly the most important of all, fresh air from the ships A/C circulated the vents garnering loud cheers from below decks.

"Nav, call the ship to action stations, exterior threat status." Dietz barked once again to his Navigation Officer. Once again he picked up the white phone and dialed the deck above the bridge.

"Flight control, this is the bridge. Confirmed order, danger close fire mission. Mark aircraft's Angel One and Angel Two. Roll in strike package bravo on unknown targets. Authentication Whiskey-Delta at time; zero three hundred Zulu."

Almost immediately, the Sea-Avenger drone was rolled onto the flight deck and subsequently launched, per the captain's order. Next, the CF-18 aircraft. Because of the Brock's size in comparison to an American Supercarrier, only one aircraft could be launched at a time. As each individual CF-18 aircraft ascended the elevator to the flight deck, an army of aviation specialists, dressed in an assortment of colours flooded the deck. The Sea-Avenger drone had already taken off into the sky when the first CF-18 rolled into position onto the ship's rear catapult systems. The rainbow coloured mob of sailors then converged on the aircraft. Sailors wearing green jerseys checked the catapult systems and ground support equipment while sailors in red jerseys loaded JDAM missiles into the plane's fuselage. Finally, the sailors wearing purple jerseys finished topping up the aircraft's fuel before clearing the deck. Once again, the green jersey flight operators ran out right behind the entity and raised the ships Jet Blast Deflector and sailors in black clothes did final checks. Finally, after checking the crafts towbar and hold back, the sailors ran off the deck as the aircraft's engines roared to life. Steam was rising from the front and back of the catapult system, showing that considerable pressure had built up. Finally, Red, white and yellow jerseyed sailors lined side by side to the right of the aircraft. A lone, yellow jerseyed officer stood near the front of the plane, using hand gestures to request confirmation from the pilots. Once the yellow officer signaled the catapult officer, who was in a control pod under the flight deck, he released the pistons in the catapult. The fighter screamed as it shot down the flight deck, going from 0 to 266 kph in just two seconds. Once clearing the flight deck, the craft circled the carrier, waiting for the second aircraft to complete the same process which was much quicker since there was leftover steam and pressure from its launch. Now completing its launch, the second aircraft joined its partner in the skies, completing a joint flyby of the Brock before racing for land.

"Flight leader, this is flight control. You are designated Angel One, co-flight is designated as Angel Two. Confirm asset designation for the fire mission."

"Angel One confirms designation."

"Angel Two acknowledges."

"Orders are as follows. You are cleared for a fire mission on unknown hostiles. Target kill box one-alpha, target 300 feet. Attack direction North-East by South-West. Danger close, friendlies in the area. Watch your shots, let's avoid any blue on blue today. You are cleared hot, fire at will."

"Affirmative flight, direction North-East by South-West. ETA to kill box is One-Mike."

Angel One quickly gained speed, taking the lead over Angel Two. He would strike first, using his 20mm M61A2 Vulcan Gatling gun, encased within the nose of the plane to soften the enemy. Followed closely by Angel Two who will drop the JDAM payload on the lasered target. Both aircraft would then bank in opposite directions, to then reconverge and reverse roles to ensure maximum effectiveness to the target below. As the pilots approached, they took the time to notice the war ensuing only a couple hundred feet below them. RHIB's pulled up on shore, wounded being carried off behind the LAV. Every so often a loud boom and a flash of light would progress from the vehicle's 25mm battery, causing a fury of fireworks on whatever it impacted. The closer they got, the louder the shots, and the screams from the soldiers fighting to the death. Angel One could hear flight control through his headset as this thumb hovered over the trigger on the joystick in front of him. This time, he was speaking to the soldiers he was going to assist.

"Ground units, be advised. Angel flight approaching to your North-East. Laser target for effect and clear the area. Flight is carrying heavy ordinance that requires guidance. Brock is inbound with shipboard fire support. ETA, six mikes. Danger close on all inbound ordinance."

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES  
** **PLANET'S SURFACE  
** **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

The radio report from the Brock's flight control team and the Jets themselves came in on Jack's radio. He sighed of relief after seeing the C6 gunner atop the LAV being handed a laser designator. The gunner pointed the device at the massive scorpion which clawed at the troops. It had grabbed a tree with its claws and threw it at the men, narrowly missing the right flank. The red laser was painted upon the head of the creature by the soldier on top of the armoured vehicle. The man had waved before the two CF-18 fighters circled by the objective, dropping their payload.

The dark battlefield was instantly lit up by an explosion so massive, it made the Carl Gustav's warhead look comparable to that of a mere C7 round. The explosion was bright enough that Jack could make out facial features of men on the opposite flank, almost as if it were daytime once again. The Scorpion was obliterated instantaneously, as was much of the tree line which was now burning. Cheers could be heard but were soon drowned out by the gunfire and the sounds of the Jets circling overhead.

"Good effect on target, Angel One! Come around for another pass!" Faintly, Jack could hear Lieutenant Bryson calling in more strikes over the radio.

While the largest threat had been eliminated, many smaller enemies still remained alive and well, continuing to harass the troopers. The man to Carver's immediate left had run out of ammo and fumbled to switch to his handgun. A wolf-like creature lunged at the man, clawing through his tactical vest and the thinner portion of the fragmentation vest. The man yelled and collapsed onto his back, splashing the sand with blood.

Jack turned, seeing the hostile about to finish the soldier off. "Man down!" Jack screamed and raised his rifle, sending round after round into the vile creature. The animal collapsed and tried to get back up, but Jack would not have it. He swung his rifle like a bat, hitting the monster over the head with the stock of the weapon. The beast went limp after a few well-placed smacks. The white plate on the animal's head had caved in more and more after each swing.

Jack crouched down next to the wounded soldier, who was writhing in pain and holding his bleeding side.

"Hang on, man! You're gonna be okay!" Jack unzipped his first aid pouch and played around with the contents until he found his tourniquet. He observed the wound after removing the man's body armor and began to wrap the bandage around the wounded trooper to stop the bleeding. The soldier grabbed Jack's arm and squeezed in reaction to the pressure, earning some discomfort from Jack. Blood soaked Jack's hands and forearms as he worked.

"Medic!" Jack screamed. There was only so much that he alone could do. He'd have to drag the soldier to the LAV, but having a medic there once he arrived would increase his chance of survival.

"Where's a god damn medic!?" When no medic came, Jack had to blame the constant gunfire and injuries occurring all over the place.

"Jerome! Get over here man I need some help!" Jack pleaded for his friend's assistance.

Without fail, Jerome spun around and sprinted towards them. "I'm on it bud!"

Jack heard his friend's voice and smiled. He never let him down. Jack tightened the tourniquet around the casualty's torso and pat him on the shoulder. "I'm gonna get you to the LAV, just hang in there!"

Jack turned, seeing Jerome running towards him. His smile faded, and his jaw fell open. A wolf class creature pursued the unknowing Private. Jack shot up, grabbing his rifle with his bloodied hands.

Lewis noticed Jack's change of expression and went cold, knowing he was likely being pursued. He turned, seeing a hostile right on his tail. The beast lifted its left arm, moving to slash Jerome like paper.

"Jerome!" Jack grabbed him by the tactical vest and threw him aside, leaving himself in the line of fire.

Carver fell backward purposely to avoid the claws now going for his face. The claws struck his helmet, tearing the CADPAT cover and scarring the kevlar. It was struck with enough force to remove the helmet from Jack's head and send the brain bucket skidding across the dirt. When Jack hit the ground, he instinctively pulled the trigger of the M203, sending a 40mm with enough force to burst through the target standing above him. The eviscerated foe collapsed backward.

"H-Hey Jack?" Jerome asked slowly while calming down.

"...Yeah…?" Jack kept his eyes forward, surprised that neither of them were dead.

"Always use the M203 please." Private Lewis got back to his feet, preparing to drag the wounded soldier to the LAV.

"Gladly." Jack got off the dirt and loaded his last 40mm round into his M203. "Gotta make this one count."

Jack looked over the battlefield for himself. For the most part, the left flank had nearly fallen. Too many casualties had been taken, which in turn meant not enough weapons were firing on the advancing enemy.

"I'll cover you!" Jack lifted his rifle and fired at the mob. "We're almost there, get him to the LAV!"

The rearmost troops were finally close enough to begin boarding the RHIBs to escape. All that was left was to cover the LAV as it entered the water. Jerome dragged the moaning soldier away, leaving a trail of blood in the dirt and sand while Jack took small steps back while firing. A bear class beast entered the field, heading straight for Jack.

"Oh, not this again!" Jack fired until the infamous 'click' was heard coming from his rifle. He cursed under his breath and dumped the empty magazine while reaching for another one.

By the time his new magazine was fed into the weapon and he tried cocking the weapon, the beast had closed the gap and raised it's arm to swat Jack like a fly. Carver winced, knowing full well it was going to hurt. The beast's arm made contact, instantly knocking the air out of Jack and sending him flying into the tree line where he tumbled for a few meters.

"...Damn it!" Jack held his side while hunched over, gasping for air.

He fumbled in the dark, looking for his rifle while breathing heavily. His blood soaked hand found his C7A2 and dragged it towards himself. Jack managed to get to his feet, slowly but surely. What he saw next, however, shook him to the core. His remaining comrades boarded their RHIBs and shut the hatch of the LAV while entering the water. Jerome sprinted towards the treeline, screaming Jack's name, only to be dragged back by two other soldiers. Owens and Farren.

They were leaving without him. While he understood the situation was chaotic, and it was difficult to determine who they had still fighting on foot or who had been loaded on the LAV, it did not mean he was okay with it.

"No…" He muttered, slowly walking forward before breaking into a run. "No. No! No! NO! Wait!" Shortly after his run started, the whizz of the CF-18 Jets could be heard again.

Another explosion rocked the treeline, sending Jack flying back even further. The treeline was ignited in flames, cutting him off from the coastline. He collided with a tree, bruising his back even more. He groaned in pain at the base of the tree. The RHIB crafts reversed from the mainland, heading toward the Brock. Jack's vision was distorted from his severe beating, but that much he could make out. He was stuck on the mainland. Alone.

The remaining beasts all turned their attention to the lone soldier.

"...Shit…" Jack pushed himself off the ground and cocked his weapon and looked for a direction to run. He didn't particularly have a plan, however, at the moment, he cared very little for a plan. He'd make it up as he went along.

The enemy was to his front, to his right and his left. The only option Jack Carver had was to run the other way; deeper into unknown territory.

It was pitch black. He hit tree branches, tripped over roots, fell into ditches. The already injured soldier only got more scuffed up the further he traveled. He could hear the creatures in the distance behind him. The snapping of branches and the crunching of leaves let him know that they were out for his blood. Jack squeezed the trigger while pointing his rifle to his rear, hoping he'd kill at least one of the pursuing enemies.

Jack leaped over a collapsed tree, seeking temporary cover behind it. His breath quickened, a mixture of fear and fatigue washing over him. The isolated soldier grabbed his canteen and opened the lid, attempting to take a swig. When only a few droplets struck his tongue, he remembered he had given his supply to Doctor Grove after escaping the Endeavour.

"God dammit" Jack slammed his fist against the tree. "Think. Think for a second, damn it!" Jack slowed his breathing while trying to come up with a plan. He'd need a place to hide, a place to get clean water, food and- Amidst his train of thought, a two-legged creature jumped on top of the downed tree.

Jack grabbed the creature and slammed it into the dirt in front of him. He followed up by drawing his bayonet and plunging it into the struggling beast. The beasts not far behind roared, now alerted to Jack's location.

He broke into a sprint again while firing at the pursuing hostiles. Eventually, his chase ended in a clearing where he was ambushed by another bear. The hulking monster smacked him aside, much like before, separating him from his primary weapon. While on the ground, Jack looked up, through the opening in the tree canopy.

His eyes met the moon. Or, what was left of it. The moon had appeared to be shattered into multiple pieces. It was fascinating and intriguing. Were it not for the hostile situation, Jack would be more than likely staring at it all night.

Jack removed his pistol from his holster as well as his bayonet. If he was going to die, he'd do it fighting. But he refused to die.

"...You think I'm gonna let you kill me on my first day of deployment? Get real, you ugly freak!"

Jack aimed his pistol and fired the entire magazine off, inciting a response from the attacker. It roared and charged. Jack dove out of the way and fumbled for a new magazine. The bear spun around and charged once again. Jack stepped out of the way, slashing at the creature with his blade as he did.

Jack swiftly loaded his next magazine and fired at the creature's head after it had missed him. The 9mm pistol might as well have been shooting paintballs as the bear simply roared and swatted Jack back a couple of meters.

"Gettin' sick and tired of that!" Jack rose to a knee and began firing at the charging creature.

The giant bear-like creature stopped dead in its tracks. Jack raised a brow, but did not dare lower his weapon. The beasts upper torso fell from its frame, severing the creature into two pieces.

"What the Hell?" Jack muttered and stood up, weapon still pointed forward.

The black smoke that Jack had seen before on the Endeavour began to emanate from the dead creature. The wind picked up, blowing through Jack's hair and sending the smoke in the direction of the wind. It was now that Jack could examine what happened to the corpses upon expiry. The bodies of the enemy seemed to evaporate. As if the situation was not strange enough, rose petals began to drift as well, following the smoke in the wind.

Jack looked on in shock. However, the dissipating corpse was not the focus of his awe.

A lone hooded figure stood opposite of the weary soldier.

The figure's red cloak blew in the wind.

Jack, while completely oblivious as to who the stranger was, lowered his sidearm, feeling an odd sense of security. What had caught his eye the most, however, was the figures choice of weapon:

A blood red scythe.

* * *

 _A/N: The anomaly has closed, stranding the Canadians in unknown territory and Jack is separated from his Platoon and is confronted by a mysterious figure! Friend or Foe? Pretty sure you can already guess._

 _As always, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! New terms added to the glossary! Remember, if there's something you don't understand and think should be in the glossary, feel free to drop a PM to myself or Starwarsmast3r! Reviews and PM's welcome._

* * *

 **GLOSSARY OF TERMS**

 **RCR-** The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.

 **BATTALION-** An organization of rifle companies and a support company.

 **COMPANY-** An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon

 **PLATOON-** An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment

 **SECTION-** A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad")

 **FIRE TEAM-** A team of 2 soldiers

 **IC-** Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)

 **RECCE-** Reconnaissance soldiers, often broken up into "Elements" or "Platoons" (Pronounced "Recky")

 **2IC-** Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)

 **BOW-** Front of a boat

 **CADPAT-** Canadian Disruptive Pattern

 **CDS-** Chief of the Defence Staff

 **CIC-** Combat Information Center

 **CVN-** Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered." 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.

 **CIWS-** (Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is Gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome-like housing.

 **C.O-** Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain

 **X.O-** Second in Command of the Vessel

 **EMP-** Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range

 **FANTAIL-** Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel

 **FLANK SPEED-** Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's real maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.

 **HELM/HELMSMAN-** Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the leadership of a senior officer. The helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgment calls on behalf of officers.

 **HMCS-** Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.

 **HMCS ALGONQUIN-** Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification.

 **HMCS BONAVENTURE-** Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy. After a service of 14 years, she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.

 **HMCS ENDEAVOUR-** Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK-** Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed-wing aircraft.

 **JDAM-** The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs," into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground.

 **J.A.G-** Judge Advocate General. The Entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.

 **KNOT-** Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.

 **LAV-** Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry

 **LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT-** The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military.

 **MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY-** Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft, and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations.

 **MILCOT-** Military truck

 **NAVIGATION/ NAVIGATION OFFICER-** Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control and listening stations.

 **NCM-** Non-Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)

 **OOW-** Officer of the Watch. Also, acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.

 **PM-** Prime Minister of Canada

 **PORT-** Left-hand side of the ship

 **REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES-** Safety protocols to protect the engines from long term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.

 **RHIB-** Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow

 **UNS BASE GUAM-** United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance

 **USS PENNSYLVANIA-** SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad.

 **QUIET ORDERS-** Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.

 **SEA-AVENGER-** Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.

 **STARBOARD-** Right-hand side of the ship

 **STERN-** Back of a ship

 **CF-18-** Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.

 **C7A2-** Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. 5.56x45mm round.

 **C8-** Carbine variant of the C7A2

 **BROWNING HI-POWER-** Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however, on deployments, they are issued to regular troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power, not 'High' power oddly enough.)

 **C-13-** Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.

 **M203-** Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade. FOURTY MIKE MIKE- Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.

 **C9A2 LMG-** Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Remarkably similar to the US military's M249

 **THE 9-** Slang for the C9A2 LMG

 **C6 GPMG-** The C6 General Purpose Machine Gu n is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon. However, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III

 **25MM CANNON-** The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25."

 **CARL GUSTAV-** The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti-armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.

 **DANGER CLOSE-** A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position.


	4. Missing in Action

_**RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land  
**_  
 _Chapter 4: Missing in Action_

* * *

 **UNKNOWN PLANET, UNKNOWN COORDINATES**  
 **PLANET'S SURFACE**  
 **UNKNOWN ROTATION CYCLE**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

The two individuals kept their eyes locked on one another, both unsure of what to think of the other. On one hand, Jack was a heavily armed soldier running through the woods, yelling and shooting like a mad man, while the other was a red cloaked scythe wielder. Regardless of how odd or out of the ordinary the strange figure was, it did save Jack's skin from another close call. Private Carver observed the figure more closely. Beneath the red cloak and hood, Jack could make out a feminine form, coming to the conclusion that the figure was a female humanoid. She was shorter than him, thinner too. Realistically, if things went south, which they had tended to do so ever since they arrived, Jack figured he could take the target on. However, it was the massive red scythe that she wielded that dissuaded him from making any preemptive moves. In addition to the weapon, the figure had shown no hostile intent towards him, yet. Which would make an attack unjust.

The eerie silence was disturbing. Jack knew the stranger was staring him down, analyzing him just as much as he was analyzing her. Their silence was an exercise of caution from both parties. However, Jack could not help but notice how much the cloaked figure reminded him of Little Red Riding Hood due to her iconic red hood.

"H-Hello?" Jack called out, making the first move. His sidearm was lowered, hoping to give off the aura of non-hostility. While there was no way to know if she even spoke his language, she was the first non-hostile lifeform that he came into contact with. So it was worth a shot.

The stranger tilted her head upon hearing Jack's voice. Mechanical whirring was soon audible shortly after Jack had spoken and the stranger had lifted her scythe. At first, Jack took a step back, expecting an attack and preparing a retaliatory strike. However, the whirring soon led to the large weapon folding and losing its scythe-like shape. In mere moments, the once large, intimidating weapon had been reduced to a compact, rectangular form.

Jack looked on in amazement at the mechanical marvel. How a giant death machine could be stored so easily made him rather jealous that the C9's and C6's could not perform such a feat. The stranger placed the stored weapon behind her where a custom mount was suspended on the small of her back. Similarly, Jack stuffed his Browning into its holster attached to his leg.

Next, the strangers now free hands found their way to the rims of her hood. The red hood was removed. Jack found himself staring in slight awe.

She was human.

Black hair with red tips rested atop her head, her pale skin shone similarly to the moon. What kept Jack's eyes staring, however, were her gleaming silver eyes. _Silver Eyes_. Jack's mind trailed back to what Jerome was saying before they passed through the portal. She was pleasant looking, that much Jack could say. Clothing wise, the woman sported a white dècolletage blouse. Around her waist, she wore a black and red overbust corset. A black belt with red borders dangled around her waist as well, holding what appeared to be magazines of ammunition and clips of loose rounds. Below that, a primarily black skirt with red accents was worn, followed by thigh-high leggings just below the hem of her skirt. Knee high boots that were a midnight black with red soles covered her feet. Above her chest, her red cloak was clipped around her neck by a silver emblem; a rose. Jack began to notice the trend of black and red.

"Hi! Are you okay?!" The stranger asked, taking a step forward.

Jack's jaw dropped. Perfect English. Jack Carver found himself at a loss for words. He was on the run from the enemy, abandoned on the beach by accident, made first contact with a non-hostile indigenous person who could speak his language and was trying to engage him. Where did he even begin? Did he ask for help? Did he tell her what happened? Did he say hello for the sake of a peaceful introduction? Or did he thank her for saving his life? Too many questions and thoughts raced through his already stressed mind.

"Are you hurt?" She stepped forward again. "I can help!"

"I-"

"Ruby!" Shouts came from behind the stranger, coming from the woods. Shortly after, three figures emerged from the tree line, entering the clearing in which Jack was staring down the stranger.

The three figures all had weapons drawn. A sword and shield, dual green bladed handguns, and... _a Warhammer?_ Each of them looked as odd as their weaponry. White and gold armor, green robes and pink clothing were uniquely donned by the three, allowing Jack to tell them apart instantly. Whereas if he were to do the same with his fellow soldiers, they'd all look the same with standard issue equipment and camouflage.

The armor clad man looked no older than Jack was. His hair was blonde, and his eyes blue. Under the golden and white armor, he donned a black hoodie and simple jean-like pants. Around his waist, a bright red sash of some sorts dangled. His weapon; a simple sword accompanied by a shield with golden markings on it. Though it was simple, Jack did not question the lethality of the weapon.

The individual dressed in a sage-green robe had long, hip-length black hair with a purple streak traveling down a portion of his locks. The robe was a sleeveless tailcoat. On the man's arms, pink sleeves that ended around his bicep were attached to metal armbands around his muscles. On his feet were calf high, open-toed sandals. His eyes were a pale pink, which was as surprising to Jack as the original figures' silver eyes. The man was almost ninja-like in his appearance, simply put.

Lastly, the Warhammer wielding redhead wore a pink skirt with a white top, covered by a dark coloured bomber jacket. Knee high white boots were dirtied by the forest floor. Her eyes were a sky blue, lighter than the blond man's eyes. She looked almost too eager to get into a scuffle as her hands were tight on her weapon.

"We heard shots! What's going on-" The individual who wielded the white and golden sword and shield spoke to the red-clad figure, only to stop upon noticing Jack.

Jack took a step back upon noticing all four of them staring at him.

"...Uhh...Who's _that_?"

Jack's eyes raced around the clearing, searching for his C7A2 that he lost in the fight with the bear creature. The 5.56 caliber rifle lay in the grass a few meters to his right. Theoretically, he could dive for it and make a mad dash into the cover of the trees, using the night to hide him from the creatures and brightly coloured warriors ahead of him.

Running did not seem like a good idea, though. He was already fatigued and dehydrated. Plus, without aid and a place to stay, it was unlikely he would survive the night. It would seem that his only hope was to negotiate with the locals.

"I plan on finding out! I found him out here, fighting an Ursa!" The silver-eyed girl spoke to the blond before turning her attention once again to Jack. "Are you okay?"

Jack looked at the group for a few more moments before deciding they, more specifically the girl in red, did not seem to harbor any ill intent.

"...Yeah...Yeah, I'm alright, thanks to you. Scuffed up a bit, but I'll live."

While the other three did not sheath/holster their weapons due to a fear of the creatures still being nearby, they visibly relaxed upon hearing Jack's gratitude.

"Heh, it was nothing." She dismissed with the wave of her hand. " What's your name?"

"I'm Private-" He stopped himself, knowing that his rank probably had no meaning to them. "Jack. I'm Jack. Jack Carver. And you are…?" He gestured to all of them.

"Hi, Jack! I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose!"

Ruby Rose.

Jack now had a name for the face of the warrior that intervened in a fight that more than likely would have killed him. He took note of the 'Ruby' and 'Rose' simply adding to the trend of red garb that she wore.

"These are my teammates; Jaune."

"Hey." The blond man, now known to Jack as Jaune, nodded and waved lightly.

"Ren." Ruby continued.

"Hello, Jack." The man bowed, further complimenting his appearance of a ninja-like figure.

"And that's Nora."

" _Hiya_!" The pink girl bounced.

Jack recoiled, shocked by her loud and peppy nature. He looked behind himself, scanning the woods for hostiles before observing each of the four again.

"Good to meet you."

A loud howl interrupted the meeting, causing the five to stare towards the point of origin. Jack turned again and back away from the tree line. Only when Jack's adrenaline lowered did he start to feel the pain of his wounds. A sharp pain stabbed his side. He groaned and clutched his side where he had been swatted by the 'Ursa' as Ruby called it.

"...God damn it…These things just don't know when to quit..." Jack slowly and painfully made his way to his C7.

"Time to go." Jaune sheathed his sword into a slot in the top of his white and gold shield. The guard collapsed into a smaller form, similar to that of Ruby's scythe and clipped it to his belt.

Ruby beat Jack to his rifle and lifted it, handing it the wounded soldier.

"Thought you said you were okay!?" Ruby teased her new acquaintance.

Jack took the rifle and slung it over his shoulder with a groan. "Like I said…" He loaded a fresh magazine into the rifle. "I'll live."

"Come with us, we will provide medical aid." Ren guided the soldier along, placing a hand on the back of the body armor Jack was wearing.

At first, Jack was reluctant. Going deeper into the forest with strangers, further away from the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. He was going to ask for support in getting back to the beach, however, hearing the approaching hostiles changed his mind.

"Where are we going?"

"We're gonna settle down for the night at our camp."

They exited the clearing, reentering into the cover of the trees. Jack, with significant assistance from Ruby and Ren, limped towards their temporary encampment while Jaune and Nora provided security to their front and rear. The walk was lengthy, which left Jack wondering why they were so far out. Perhaps they were investigating the large gun battle, only to stumble upon a random Soldier running through the woods, firing on anything behind him. He planned on fishing for answers later. Questions like who they were, where they were, everything.

After roughly twenty minutes of shuffling through the woods in the dark, getting further and further from the Brock and the enemy forces on the beach, they reached a large rock formation embedded in the woods that was erupted from the ground and featured a cut in, providing overhead protection from possible rain while high enough to allow a manageable campfire to be produced.

A campfire that had been long since put out was located in the center of four sleeping bags. An assortment of bags and resources lay strewn about the camp, near the fire.

"Jaune, get a fire going." Ruby pointed at the doused fire pit.

"On it!" Jaune placed his weapon down at his sleeping bag before scouring the nearby trees for fresh wood to burn.

"Nora! You have the watch! Make sure we weren't followed."

"You got it!" The huge Warhammer the woman held collapsed into a form similar to that of an M32 MGL used by the United States Marine Corps. Jack's eyes widened at the weapon.

"A hammer _and_ a grenade launcher?!" Jack gawked at the firearm.

"Sure is!" Nora gleefully confirmed.

Ruby and Ren aided Jack to the rock wall of the formation where they carefully sat him down against it, much to the discomfort of the Canadian.

Ren removed Jack's C7A2 from his shoulder and placed it down next to him. Both Ruby and Ren unzipped the soldier's tactical vest and removed it carefully as to not cause discomfort in the still groaning Jack.

"What is that?" Jaune asked while tending to the kindling flame.

"It's a C7A2, gas operated, fully automatic assault rifle chambered in 5.56 caliber." Jack listed off the characteristics of the Canadian Forces' service rifle that he had learned in Basic Military Qualification

"...A what?"

"It's a gun." Ruby answered, predicting Jack's response.

"Yeah." Jack nodded. "That."

Ruby observed Jack's body, determining that the fragmentation vest and combat shirt that he donned would have to be removed in order to evaluate his wounds.

"We're going to have to remove your protective equipment." Ren said, also looking over the CADPAT vest.

"Go for it." Jack tried moving his arm to tear the velcro seals keeping the vest attached to his body, to no avail.

The two aiding Jack separated the velcro pieces holding it together and lifted the kevlar plate carrier over Jack's head. The CADPAT load bearing vest and fragmentation vest were placed down side by side with his rifle.

Soon after his body armor was removed, Jaune managed to start the fire, providing light in the dark rock formation. Jack could see the light reflecting off of Ruby's silver eyes. For a moment, the pain in his side had subsided, allowing him to gaze at the unusual, albeit interesting, eye colour present in Ruby's eyes.

Now that his gear was no longer restricting his movement, Jack could slouch semi-comfortably against the rock wall. His shirt was slightly torn and dirtied from the previous engagements.

"And your shirt?" Ruby gestured.

Jack had just started to get comfortable when he remembered they were trying to provide medical aid. "Right."

He sat up slowly and reached for the hem of his shirt. Jack lifted the sweaty combat shirt over his head and placed it with the remainder of his kit. Jack had put the shirt on just prior to boarding the Brock and since then, had worn it for hours in a warm climate during combat conditions. He was glad to be rid of it, even if the night air left his torso cold.

"That's brisk…" Jack shivered.

"Ren, can you grab some water and the medicine?" Ruby gestured to her pack next to her sleeping bag while looking over Jack's bruised torso.

His left side had a significant impact injury, no doubt the result of the Ursa creature smashing Jack to the side on the beach, followed by another striking him in the clearing. Much of his torso was bruised and cut. Even much of his back, where he had been thrown against a bulkhead on the Endeavour, was bruised. Ruby placed her hand on the bruise, causing Jack to recoil.

"Ah, _damn_!" Jack groaned.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Ruby retracted her hand. "Needed to see how bad it was!"

"Yeah, it's bad!" Jack tried his hand at humour, though it brought little comfort.

Ren hastily returned to Ruby's side, carrying a tan coloured canteen and a white coloured cartridge. Jack sighed of relief upon seeing the container. While he did not regret giving Grove his water, he was certainly dehydrated as a result. Ren handed the water carrier to Jack who, similarly to Grove, removed the cap and began to drink. He had not been drinking for two seconds before stopping himself and taking the canteen away from his lips.

"What's wrong?" Ruby inquired.

"I can't drink this. This is your water." Jack reached for the cap, aiming to seal it to the canteen.

"You are dehydrated." Ren started. "Choosing not to drink will be detrimental to your health."

"I said I could help you, and that's what I'm going to do." Ruby pushed the canteen closer to the rejecting man.

"...If you say so...Thank you." Jack continued to drink, visibly relaxing upon taking in the liquid.

He then reached for his tactical vest, grunting as he did. He opened his IFAK on his vest, fishing for his painkillers. He eventually found the bottle of pills buried at the bottom and dumped two into his palm before downing them with water.

"It'll take a while for those to take effect." Ren noted.

"You're right, but I don't really see an alternative."

"We could put some ice on your injuries!" Ruby pointed towards the largest bruise on Jack's body; the Ursa strike wound on his left side.

"Not a bad idea." Jack started. "But...where are we gonna get the ice?" He looked around, genuinely curious.

"That's what that is for." Ruby gestured to the cartridge still in Ren's hand.

"...What's that?" Jack asked with a brow raised.

"Watch!"

Ren retrieved one of his handguns from his hip and loaded the white cartridge into the magazine well. He took aim and fired the weapon at the ground, resulting in a white puff of smoke. Jack waved his hand, keeping the smoke away from his face. When the smoke cleared, he looked in amazement to find that the round that impacted, had turned into a misshapen ball of ice.

"How!?"

"The Schnee Dust Company sure does its job well!" Nora shouted from her position of security.

Ruby's facial expression fell to sadness at the mention of the Schnee Dust Company.

Jack observed the ice that was formed upon the ground inquisitively. While the name 'dust' suggested it was just that; mere dust, the power and ability displayed by the white cartridge that Ren had deployed stated otherwise. "Dust...What's that?"

All four of his saviors paused their actions, looking at him in confusion.

"...Was that a weird thing to ask? That was weird, wasn't it?" Jack assumed, looking at their expressions.

"That's one way of putting it, that's for sure." Jaune shrugged.

Ruby knelt down, picking up the ball of ice with Jack's glove. She sat down next to him and placed the frozen dust round against his bruise. His eyes widened, and his form twitched in reaction to the cold.

"Well...it's not everyday we hear that." Ruby mused before turning her head and looking at him. "...Where are you from, Jack? Vale?"

Jack looked quizzically at the girl, oblivious of what Vale was, and searching for a way to explain that he was not of that world.

"Mistral? Vacuo? Atlas?"

"Is there a 'none of the above' option? Never heard of them."

The more time team RNJR spent with him, Jack Carver got stranger by the minute. At first, he claimed to have no knowledge of one of the world's leading corporate powers, the element of Dust, now he professed to having lived outside all of the four Kingdoms, the last bastions for humanity while also never hearing about them. While yes, there were scattered villages here and there, one would have to be incredibly dense to not know of at least one of the Kingdoms.

"To be honest with you, Ruby...I'm not from...around here."

"Got that much, thanks." Jaune shrugged from over by the campfire.

"...Well, where are you from?" Ruby persisted.

"Canada." Jack said while pointing to the flag on his combat shirt laying amongst his gear.

"Is that a nearby village?" Ren inquired.

"No...I wish it were nearby. It's a country."

Due to the isolation caused by the Grimm, the four Kingdoms were the only things that resembled Earth's countries. And from what RNJR knew, there was no such kingdom as 'Canada' on Remnant.

"Did you hit your head?" Nora asked.

"...I don't think so?" Jack pondered before shaking his head and getting to the point. "Look, guys. This is going to sound...really crazy...But when I say 'I'm not from around here'...I mean I came from another world or dimension or something along those crazy lines."

In truth, he barely understood it himself, meaning his explanation would be flawed. The four stared at him, blank-faced.

"Umm...What?"

"I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous. I don't get it either."

"He's an _alien!_ " Nora exclaimed.

"No! Well, maybe? I don't know." Jack shrugged.

"That's so cool!" Ruby's confused expression turned to interest and amazement. If Jack was telling the truth, he was a being from another world. And team RNJR had made first contact. "But...Why are you here?" Ruby asked.

"Here's what I know; a...portal...of some sort appeared in the Hudson Bay back home...it's a large body of water." Jack clarified before continuing. "Some scientists went through, ending up here, trying to explore and learn about the portal. They never came back."

"So you came through to rescue them?" Ren assumed.

"Yeah, essentially. My friends and I came through on a huge boat to look for them."

"So you're _not_ here to abduct our cows and invade?" Nora asked, looking somewhat...disappointed. Further adding to Jack's opinion that; she was odd.

"Uhm...No?" Jack chuckled, only to hold his side in discomfort after doing so. "We had hoped we came through fast enough to rescue the scientists."

"Did you?" Ruby took the ice off of Jack's torso momentarily to continue the conversation.

"...No…" Jack sighed, looking at the ground. "Only one survived."

"What happened?"

"Whatever these things are got to them before we did...it was a bloodbath." He shuddered.

"I'm sorry, Jack..."

"Me too. Really thought we could've helped bring em' home. My team and I rescued the only survivor and encountered whatever those monsters are."

"Grimm." Ren gave the monsters a name.

"Grimm. Well. That's a fitting name." Jack rolled his eyes. "They're tough to kill. How many of em' are there?"

"Endless it would seem." Ren added. "They have been hunting Humanity for as long as we can remember."

"Great…" Jack groaned sarcastically.

"So...there are more of you?" Jaune asked while walking over.

"Yeah, about a thousand of us I'd wager."

"Well, that explains the explosions and gunfire we heard." Jaune took a seat against the rockwall.

"The 'Grimm' attacked some of our men that were patrolling the mainland. They were trying to learn a little about where we were while I was searching the scientists' ship for survivors. We had to escape when the Grimm attacked, only to find that the recon party had been engaged too. I got separated, and well, here we are."

"We can tell you about where you are, if it helps!" Ruby offered their assistance while applying the ice.

"Ruby, can we talk for a moment?" Jaune said, telling rather than asking.

The two warriors stood up and walked away, stopping at the campfire, facing away from the now confused soldier.

"What's up?" Ruby asked.

"We don't know enough about this guy to start helping him out and get friendly with him. For all we know, he's lying."

Jaune's old happy, whimsical nature had been suppressed by a far more aware, stoic and warrior-like demeanor. While it made him stronger in battle, it certainly spoke volumes about his change in character post fall of Beacon academy. He did make a good point, however. They did not know a lot about their new acquaintance to make a proper judge of his character. But Ruby only needed to see one thing; the willingness to help people. And as far as they knew, that was his sole purpose for being there in the first place.

"Jaune, he came here to find his lost people and bring them home, not go to war with us. Besides, they're fighting the Grimm, that can only be good for us!"

"So he says. Ruby, I don't want anyone else to get hurt. We both know that there are humans out there on the other side...we both know what happened at Beacon...we've seen liars infiltrate our school and take the ones we love."

Ruby's eyes met the dirt. Jaune's spiel was a sharp and stinging reminder to the losses they suffered. Penny, Professor Ozpin...Pyrrha. Other humans such as Roman Torchwick and Cinder had dedicated their operations to bringing the Huntsmen academy down despite it being a crucible providing warriors to fight Grimm. Though Torchwick met a grizzly end, there were men like him ready to take his place and Ruby knew Cinder and her lackeys were still out there. As Uncle Qrow had said, their trail led to Haven, which meant they had to get there and shut them down at all costs. Jack and his men provided an interesting opportunity to do so should they ally together.

"What if he can help?"

"How?"

"You saw the explosions and heard the gunfire, Jaune. We know they have powers similar to Atlas. What if they can get us to Haven for helping Jack? What if they can help us stop the ones responsible?"

"Why would they do that?"

"...Jack said they wanted to learn, right? If we help them for a trip to Haven in return, we can complete our objective. Make things right!"

Jaune pondered for a minute. Ruby made a good argument. They'd have to rely on Jack to get the help they needed, but, it was a risk he was now willing to take in order to bring justice for Pyrrha.

"I trust you." Jaune finally said. "If you think he and his friends are the key to getting us there and winning, let's do it."

"Thanks, Jaune." Ruby smiled. "We just need to get him back to his friends and wait for the rest to sort itself out. Besides...We're supposed to help people. Let's take the chance."

The two marched back towards the shirtless soldier, who was holding a conversation with Ren about the Grimm. The man had a journal and a pen out. Moving his arm seemed to cause discomfort, but the information was valuable to jot down in order to inform the chain of command.

"So the big ones are called 'Ursai' right?"

"Correct. And the smaller ones are Beowolves. They attack in packs, as you may have already discovered."

Jack wrote down the information and chuckled. "...Yeah, learned that the hard way, that's for sure."

Ruby retook her place next to Jack and started applying the ice to his wounds.

"So." She started while looking down at his notebook. "What do you want to know?"

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **EARTH TIME- 01:00**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY  
** **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC  
** **MARPAC  
** **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ**

Dietz walked along the Fantail of the Brock, taking deep breaths of the fresh summer air. For the first time since leaving Esquimalt two weeks ago, there was quiet. Only an hour ago he ordered the crew to break, getting some much-needed rest while they could. MP's walked the ship as a security precaution, awaiting the possibility that the planet's wildlife would threaten the ship. The 50. BMG's where fixed, ready to be manned at a moment's notice. One Leading Seaman was installing a fresh belt of ammunition into the feed, dropping what he was doing and saluting when he noticed Dietz walking by. Dietz also saluted and dismissed the sailor to continue his duties. As he turned the corner of the gangway, he came across the newly installed Mark 45. artillery piece. The alloy along the guns casing still looked new, never being fired since being serviced. Although it was days ago, it felt like an eternity since they came through the anomaly. Peace and quiet was hard to find aboard a warship, not to mention being able to enjoy it alone. Dietz took the time to lean out over the bow gangway, seeing the sun begin to rise on the far off horizon line. This peace was soon interrupted by a constant vibrating feeling in Dietz' right pocket. Dietz sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an early 2000's style, a government issued flip phone. Although looking like a standard consumer real phone, to call it that was misleading. No texts, no voice recorder, no pictures, nothing. Every feature but call and voicemail were disabled. Not even the weather app was considered safe from security breaches. Kendall always made the comparison to a toy phone.

"It's like the phone you would give to your two-year-old, where they can pretend to press things but nothing happens." Kendall would always say. He took every opportunity to hit DND on every poor decision they made. Dietz flipped open hs phone and answered in the most neutral tone possible.

"Yeah, Dietz." He identified, no caller ID was enabled on his phone, per DND's orders.

"Sir, Colonel Reid and Lieutenant Bryson are assembled in the briefing room, waiting for you Sir." It was his navigation officer, Ashley Beckett. While young, she was a capable officer and was more than capable to put the fear of god into the NCM's, when needed of course.

"Good, tell him I'll be right down. Wake up Kendall and tell him to meet me there."

"I've tried Sir, no answer in his quarters."

"Try the helo-bay, don't ask."

For whatever reason, Kendall never slept in his quarters. More often than not, he slept in low traffic areas. Most of the time, he was in the helo-bay, sleeping in any helicopter that wasn't being serviced. He didn't like to make it public, but Kendall was originally a pilot. The two first met when Dietz was Commander aboard the HMCS Huron. Kendall was a Sea King pilot that always yelled at the ship's flight crew for making his job harder, always demanding that they keep the ship stable. Eventually, the two met when he asked to speak to the flight boss' superior. When Dietz arrived, he challenged Kendall to do better. Only a year and a half later, the two met at a NATO security summit where Kendall had been promoted to Chief of the Boat aboard the HMCS Victoria.

 **10 MINUTES LATER  
** **JOINT OPS SECURITY BRIEFING  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**

Dietz approached the bulkhead door, removing his uniform ball cap before reaching for the handle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man in a blue service shirt running down the hall.

"Make a hole!" He yelled, jumping over knockers as he passed by sailors who moved to the side of the hall. As the man got closer, Dietz realized who the man was.

"Thanks for waiting, commodore!"

Of course, it had to be his XO. He was obviously well rested from his nap.

"Mike." Dietz remarked, placing obvious hints of disgust and disappointment in his tone. These feelings were later doubled when he noticed what has in his hand. "Is that a half eaten apple in your hand?"

"What? We're on the water, gotta keep up your Vitamin C. Don't want to fall victim to scurvy."

"We've been gone for a little over a day. We're 21st-century sailors with the Royal Canadian Navy, not 16th-century pilgrims crossing the Atlantic. Give me that." Kendall looked down at his snack. He reluctantly took one last bite before handing it over to his superior. Dietz, now with a half eaten fruit in his hand, gave it to a passing Petty Officer. "Throw this out the next time you pass a trash bin."

"Yes, Sir." The Petty Officer took the fruit by the stem and continued down the corridor. Dietz now looked back at his XO, now less confident that he was presentable. Sadly, He was right.

"And what the hell are those?" Dietz pointed to a pair of sunglasses, hanging by one arm in the Lieutenant-Commander's shirt breast pocket.

"Aviators…"

"I'm not even going to ask why. Hand them over." Again, Kendall took the shades out from his uniform hand gave them to the CO, who placed them in his empty left pocket. With his now free hand, he reached for the door, turning the knob and gesturing his XO to go first. Kendall took the hint, removing his hat which was similar in style to Dietz', and entered the room.

What used to be a break room for the ship's officers was converted into a meeting style room. A long, modern style table extended across the length of the compact room. A beverage stand was still present, on the opposite wall of the entrance. Along the back, left wall was a door leading to a private kitchenette, which was barren. Sitting at the head of the table on the left was Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, wearing the standard Canadian CADPAT uniform. To his right was Master Corporal Farren and to Reid's left was Lieutenant Bryson. Both men sported the same style uniform to their battalion commander. Filling in the chairs to the left and right where the CF-18 pilots that lead the bombing run, Chief Engineer Richard Scott, the Sea-Avenger drone pilots and the surviving doctor from the HMCS Endeavour, Brian Grove. Two seats remained at the head of the table on the right-hand side. Both Kendall and Dietz moved for the remaining seats.

According to International Law, the Brock was sovereign Canadian soil in international waters. Dietz, by extension, was the highest ranking Canadian official on the ship. Only being outranked by Her Majesty as the Head Of State of Canada would she be present. Due to this law, it was Lieutenant-Colonel Reid who rose up upon his entry, shouting "Room!" Causing those within the confines of the break room to rise and stand at attention. Reid saluted the Naval Captain, awaiting his order to relax.

As Dietz and Kendall arrived at their seats, they too stood at attention before Dietz gave the order to relax and to retake their seats. "Let's get right to it then. Thank you all for being here. I am acutely aware that the last 12 hours have been a little chaotic for all of us so I will try to keep this brief. Per first contact doctrine, this session will be recorded for the record and presented to Parliament at the earliest convenience. Doctor, we will begin with you. When I finish the introduction, you will give your statement." Dietz reached out in front of him and pressed a small red button on one of two recording systems on the table, each at one end. "HMCS Sir Isaac Brock, first contact report, Operation Beyond Veil. Mission parameters, prescribed and commissioned by Her Majesty, the Queen, and her representatives. First. to recover prudent intelligence aboard the HMCS Endeavour and rescue any survivors that may be aboard. Second, to establish a Forward Operating Base beyond the anomaly and gather relevant intel on the planet's ecosystem, wildlife and/or the presence of intelligent life. Report dated September 26th, 2017. Commander William Dietz presiding."

Dietz raised a small script from a folder on the desk in front of him. Typed upon the page was a carefully detailed summary of last night's events. He placed it flat atop the folder and cleared his throat and began to read.

"Upon entering the anomaly, our vessel came under attack from what we can only assume was a hostile EMP device, intended to cripple our capabilities. Upon completing a visual check of the ship, I ordered Helmsman McCord to move us closer to the nearby landmass. Upon arrival, A reconnaissance platoon was deployed to what remainder of the Endeavour. After careful visual inspection by members of the platoon, it was determined the Endeavour suffered major hull damage, and her superstructure was nearly torn in half. Upon determining the structural integrity of the ship was volatile, as well as the possible remainder of hostile contact, two fire teams were deployed to recover the vessels remaining fuel supply and shipboard recorder. After discovering the identity of the only known survivor, both teams made contact with what we can only assume was the planet's indigenous wildlife. After successfully extracting both assets prescribed to them, as well as the survivor, the ship was scuttled by human error. The team moved back to the mainland where the rest of the platoon had fallen under attack. At this time, the fuel recovered from the Endeavour aided the ship's engineer to reverse the effects of the EMP, returning power to the ship. This was followed by an unexpected closing of the anomaly, resulting in no damage to the ship or engaged ground forces. CF-18 air support was immediately deployed to aid in the fight, resulting in a tactical withdrawal to the Brock. Current reports estimate 24 injured, several of whom are in critical condition. I am pleased to report that we have reported zero friendlies killed in action overall. Giving an in-depth briefing of the events and his experiences is the only surviving member of the HMCS Endeavour research team. Doctor Brian Grove was found alone aboard the Endeavour and will give a statement on his findings."

"Thank you, Captain. My name is Doctor Brian Grove, acting Head of Research for the HMCS Endeavour, now stationed aboard the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. We arrived on this planet almost a week and a half ago. Our mission was to provide preliminary insight into the planet and to assist the reinforcements with getting used to the planet's ecosystem. Upon arrival, Our ship was also hit by an EMP blast. This caused a short circuit of the ship's power plant. Shortly after, we replaced the circuit breakers and restored power to the ship's primary functions, but permanent damage was already done to the propulsion systems and determined to be irreparable. After falling under attack from the local wildlife, our ship ran aground on the mainland. Per the Captain's prior report..."

As the doctor continued his dissertation. There was a light knock on the meeting hall door. As Grove was in the middle of speaking, Dietz looked at Master Corporal Farren and slightly jerked his head to the right, signaling him to answer the door. Farren nodded in acknowledgment and excused himself from the table silently, as to not disrupt the doctor. He quietly turned the knob and moved into the hallway, closing the door behind him. As he turned around, he met face to face with Corporal Owens and Private Lewis who were waiting in the hall. Lewis nervously tapped his foot, leaning against the bulkhead while Corporal Owens stood opposite of Farren, his arms crossed.

"Owens? What is it, we're in the middle of the first contact report-"

"We have a problem."

"...What do you mean?"

"We don't have everybody from 2 Section."

Farren exhaled from his nose, fuming. He crossed his arms while looking at the steel floor. The possibility of losing a section member was a grim reality that a commander had to face, but this early in the deployment stung Farren hard. "...KIA?"

"Negative."

Farren looked up from the floor, staring at his 2IC.

"...MIA…"

"Yeah," Owens confirmed with a nod and a sigh.

"God damn it…"

"Who is it?"

Owens was quiet at first, looking back at Lewis whose gaze was lost in the floor. It took the Master Corporal a moment to clue into their missing person.

"You remember when we dragged Lewis away, thinking he was crazy?"

"You've gotta be shitting me." Farren put a palm on his face after rolling his eyes.

"What do we do?"

"The only option; we're going to get him."

"George…"

"You know my rule, Sam!"

"I know-"

"No man left behind! And what did we do? We left him out there! He's probably out there running around like a headless chicken, we've got to get down there again."

"With those freaks out there?! George be real, there's no way to know if he's even alive!"

Lewis' head shot up, glaring at him unbeknownst to the Corporal.

"Dead or alive, Sam. Dead or alive." Farren stared at Owens before looking at the young Private who tagged along. They nodded at one another.

"Alright, fine. You're right. But how are we gonna do it? There's no way Lieutenant Bryson, let alone Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, would allow an operation after the shit-show that was that battle."

"You let me worry about that. I'll think of something. Just be ready to step off."

"Roger that, boss."

Master Corporal Farren watched the two soldiers leave, heading for their bunks to gather their equipment. Farren's hands balled into fists, and he grit his teeth. How could you be so stupid?! He repeatedly asked himself that question. He had left a man behind in the heat of battle. It was now that he began to wonder if he would ever deserve to be a Sergeant if this was the result of his leadership position.

He took a deep breath, calming himself, before turning around and gently opening the door.

"-name is Lieutenant Paul Bryson, commander of 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 1RCR. Upon passing through the anomaly, it was my platoon that established a defensive perimeter around the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock in the event we were met with hostile action. We were then given a task by 1RCR commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Reid to board the HMCS Endeavour. When we reached the ship, we noticed severe damage-"

"Permission to enter?" Farren came to attention at the door.

"Come on in, Farren." Dietz waved the man in.

"Thank you, Sir." Farren nodded before returning to his seat. His face was pale.

Dietz reached out and pressed the red button on the recording device, temporarily stopping the briefing.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is everything alright Master Corporal? You look like you've seen a ghost. Care to share?"

Farren sat still in his seat, now noticing the abundance of Officers staring at him. He cleared his throat. "...Uhh...Yes, Sir. My 2IC just informed me that my section is short one soldier…"

Lieutenant Bryson's eyes widened. He looked to his left, observing the Master Corporal that had been put on the spot. If a man in his Platoon was missing, he needed to know.

Dietz leaned back in his chair, resting his arms in a thinking pose. The rest of the room fell silent. Kendall, who was frantically tapping his foot, broke the silence in the chamber.

"Who?"

Farren looked to the XO. "Private Jack Carver, Sir."

"And you've checked the med bay, common areas, mess hall. You're sure we left him behind?"

"Regretfully, Sir, I'm positive. During the battle, my 2IC and I had to restrain one of our men, believing him to be in a state of panic during the fight. However, he's revealed that he was attempting to rescue Private Carver who had been separated from the body of troops on the left-hand flank of the LAV III."

Dietz leaned forward, now looking towards Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, who as well was taken a forward stance in his chair.

"Well, this complicates matters. At quiet two I'd had hoped to get as far away from here as possible. What say you Reid, what's our plan?"

The otherwise silent Lieutenant-Colonel stroked his chin, pondering their course of action.

"Sir, permission to take my section to the beachhead and find our man." Farren interjected.

"Denied." Reid shut him down.

"But Sir-"

"You will not take a non-effective strength section into the darkness, Master Corporal. It's suicide."

"Sir, with all due respect, I refuse to-"

"However." Reid cut Farren off again. "With the Captain's permission, I'm willing to authorize the deployment of Alpha and Bravo Company to the surface. I still intend to Recce the mainland, but this time, with much more firepower."

"With all due respect Colonel, I'm afraid the beasts will re-engage you upon landing. They will meet you with equal resistance and that no ground will be gained in searching for this missing Private. Instead, I recommend we test these beasts' intelligence through a decoy. If you can deploy Alpha and Bravo companies to the beachhead to create a diversion, we can send in a smaller, four-man team to find your man. These things, will be so busy with the war on the beach that the team will encounter little resistance. All you need to do is find a team crazy enough to explore this 'Brave New World' and get your man back."

"I'll trust your judgment, Captain Dietz." Reid nodded. "We might as well attempt the establishment of our forward operating base while we're at it. Alpha company and the detachment of Engineers we brought along will begin construction while Bravo company provides security. I'd like to get more LAV's on the field as well as a Leopard or two if we can manage. I want our men to outmatch these bastards on every playing field."

"Very good, I'll make the preparations."

Lieutenant Colonel Reid sighed and stroked his forehead. "Well, Master Corporal Farren. Looks like you've got your suicide mission. Who are you taking?"

"I'll lead the team, Sir. I'd imagine Corporal Owens and Private Lewis will tag along, but I'm unsure of the fourth option."

"I'll do it!" Kendall shot up from his seat, planting a smile on his face. "I fill in for the missing Private."

"Mike?"

"Yeah, this ship's gotten real cramped lately. No blame on your behalf, Sir." Kendall pointed his makeshift apology towards Reid. "I've done some ship security courses and anti-piracy missions over the years. I'm a pretty good shot with the C8 if I do say so myself."

"Are you okay with this Farren?"

"Yes, Sir. I'll have some kit assembled for Lieutenant-Commander Kendall."

"It's settled then. Mike will assist finding Private Carver while RCR sets up a ground presence. I'll inform the assault bay to prep armour and RHIB's. Master Corporal, once you and your team are kitted up, report to the flight deck. Once the fireworks start, you'll head out. I'm sure I don't need to wish you all the best of luck, It'll take a lot more than that to come out of this unscathed. We will monitor your progress from here."

Farren rose from his seat and fixed his beret to his head. He came to attention and saluted the Captain. "Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir!"

Once Dietz rose from his seat, the rest of the room followed, and formalities were exchanged before people started to fill out the door. "Just bring your man home, and I will accept your thanks. I have full confidence in your abilities. Good luck and Godspeed. Dismissed!"

The room quickly emptied soon after. One by one the group made their way out into the hallway until Dietz and Kendall were alone in the room. As Kendall moved for the door, Dietz grabbed his left shoulder, signaling him to stop.

"Whats up?" Kendall turned to face the captain, whose face had turned slightly pale since dismissing the room.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of Farren, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"We'll do the best we can. Once we find that Private, we'll get back here and debrief him. After spending a night with the beasties, I am sure he'll have valuable insight."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What do you mean?"

"These, things, ripped the Endeavour apart. We're made of the same shit. From the same manufacturer. If shit hits the fan, I want to know you can rein in the RCR guys."

"They're not going to be swayed, Sir. They want their man back, and they're not going to leave until they get him."

"I know, I want him back here safe just as much as they do. I just want to know that you can make the tough call to fall back if we come under attack. We are built for support, not offense. I fought command tooth and nail for the Mark 45. We won't last long if those things come for us. If they do, we'll meet the same fate as the Endeavour."

"It won't happen, Sir-"

"But if it does."

"I'll make the right call Sir. I'll bring them home. Scouts honour."

"It helps to hear that. And in any event, you can have these back…" Dietz reached into his pocket, pulling out the Aviators that he confiscated from Kendall earlier. Kendall reached out and reacquired his sunglasses. He put on a slight grin as he put them on.

"You know Captain, I'm feelin' the need. The need for-"

"Don't you have a suicide mission to attend to… _Maverick?_ "

 **VALE, REMNANT  
** **WOODS OF VALE  
** **EARTH TIME- 03:00**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

Jack's eyes shot open upon the shifting of a sleeping bag. He looked around, seeing Ren leaving his sleeping bag to take watch. To his right, a passed out Ruby sat with the now melting ice in her palm. Nora was fast asleep, and Jaune had begun maneuvering his way into his sleeping bag. He had just taken notice that he had been dressed in his combat shirt with a blanket draped over him. While he was still sore, the painkillers and ice certainly helped in bringing down the pain.

He reached for his pen and journal and flipped to a blank page, past the notes holding answers to the plethora of questions that he had asked. While it was good that he now had information to bring to the chain of command, he realized that he had not used the journal for its intended purpose; record events and his thoughts. Jack looked around at his new allies and began to write.

 _Jack Carver: Journal Entry 1_

 _Well, I figured it was the right time to use the damn thing. Not exactly sure where to start. HMCS Sir Isaac Brock went through the anomaly, and I got separated during a battle. Got rescued by a cute redhead and her colourful band of friends. Not every day you can say that. Ruby, Nora, Jaune and Ren. They speak perfect English, have advanced weaponry and devices similar to phones known as scrolls. It's hard to say who's more advanced, us or them. Too early to know for sure. The weird thing is; they're the same age as me, a_ _nd they're not soldiers...they're apart of a faction known as Huntsmen who are highly skilled warriors. Anyway, they saved my life from a 'Creature of Grimm' which are the local assholes that essentially kill everyone they can. The pricks ambushed us on the Endeavour and on the beachhead. On the bright side, I know where we are now. Vale - one of the four kingdoms on a planet known as Remnant. Whatever that means. Also, the moon is messed up...So that's a thing…._

 _We're gonna try and make a break for the beach in the morning. Hopefully, the guys are looking for me or at least know that I'm gone. Lord knows I've got A LOT to tell the CO. Information on where we are, the kingdoms, the enemy, the people. And I'm gonna have to try and convince him to give 'RNJR' (Ruby, Nora, Jaune, Ren) a lift to Mistral; one of the four kingdoms. Maybe he can spare a Griffon for a quick drop off. It's the least we can do for all the information and help they gave me. I think they want us to tag along, but that much is up to the higher ups. To be honest, I wouldn't mind. They seem like good people, and I think we've hit it off pretty well._

 _Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens._

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **EARTH TIME- 05:00**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **MCPL FARREN**

"No man left behind." George mumbled, carrying his helmet in one and his rifle in the other.

He refused to let it happen again. Men that he knew and cared for were left behind during his tour in Afghanistan, a horrific injustice that he would never allow. It could be a lowly Private, or the chief of the defence staff, it did not matter, he wouldn't leave a soldier behind to die.

Farren reached the flight deck, making his way to the designated CH-146 Griffon allocated to his small team where Private Lewis, Corporal Owens, and Lieutenant-Commander Kendall were likely waiting.

"Master Corporal Farren." A voice came from his radio. Lieutenant-Colonel Reid.

"Go ahead, Sir."

"Alpha company and Bravo company are away, wait for the fireworks and head out on your chopper."

"Roger that, Sir." Farren loaded a magazine into his rifle, ready to go.

"You've got one shot at this, Farren. The men and women on the ground are counting on you to bring Carver back and make this fight worth it. Godspeed, Master Corporal."

"I won't let them down, sir."

Master Corporal George Farren placed his kevlar helmet upon his head and fastened the strap. He took one last look towards the bay, seeing dozens of RHIBs and LAV III's deploying to the decimated beachhead where they had recently battled their new enemy. Another conflict would soon ensue, more than twice the size as the last. Men were going to get hurt, maybe even killed. However, if it meant getting one of their own back safely and getting payback, it was worth it…

 _To all of them._

* * *

 _A/N: Another chapter done! New terms added to the Glossary. Regarding an update schedule, we intend to post once per week likely on the Friday. However this is susceptible to change due to work and university! Doesn't mean we'll stop, just means we may get delayed sometimes!_

 _Hope you enjoyed._

* * *

 **GLOSSARY OF TERMS**

 **RCR-** The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.

 **BATTALION-** An organization of rifle companies and a support company.

 **COMPANY-** An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon  
 **PLATOON-** An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment  
 **SECTION-** A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad")  
 **FIRE TEAM-** A team of 2 soldiers

 **IC-** Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)  
 **RECCE-** Reconnaissance soldiers, often broken up into "Elements" or "Platoons" (Pronounced "Recky")

 **2IC-** Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)

 **BOW-** Front of a boat

 **CADPAT-** Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc).

 **CDS-** Chief of the Defence Staff

 **DND-** Department of National Defence

 **CIC-** Combat Information Center

 **CVN-** Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.

 **CIWS-** (Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome like housing.

 **C.O-** Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain

 **X.O-** Second in Command of the Vessel

 **EMP-** Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range

 **FANTAIL-** Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel

 **FLANK SPEED-** Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.

 **HELM/HELMSMAN-** Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. Helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgement calls on behalf of officers.

 **HMCS-** Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.

 **HMCS ALGONQUIN-** Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification.

 **HMCS BONAVENTURE-** Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy.

After a service of 14 years she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.

 **HMCS ENDEAVOUR-** Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK-** Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed wing aircraft.

 **HMCS VICTORIA-** One of four long-range hunter-killer (Sub-Surface Killer) submarines of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia.

 **JDAM-** The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground.

 **J.A.G-** Judge Advocate General. Entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.

 **KNOT-** Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.

 **LAV-** Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry  
 **LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT-** The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military.

 **MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY-** Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations.

 **MILCOT-** Military truck

 **NAVIGATION/ NAVIGATION OFFICER-** Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control and listening stations.

 **NCM-** Non Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)

 **OOW-** Officer of the Watch. Also acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.

 **PM-** Prime Minister of Canada

 **PORT-** Left-hand side of the ship

 **REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES- **Safety protocols to protect the engines from long term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.

 **RHIB-** Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow

 **UNS BASE GUAM-** United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance

 **USS PENNSYLVANIA-** SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad.

 **QUIET ORDERS-** Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing

the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.

 **Sea-Avenger-** Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.

 **SEA KING-** The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian Naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces since 1963.

 **STARBOARD-** Right-hand side of the ship

 **STERN-** Back of a ship

 **CF-18-** Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.

 **C7A2-** Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. 5.56x45mm round.

 **C8-** Carbine variant of the C7A2

 **BROWNING HI-POWER-** Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however on deployments they are issued to common troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power.)

 **C-13-** Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.

 **M203-** Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade. **FOURTY MIKE MIKE-** Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.

 **C9A2 LMG-** Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249

 **THE 9-** Slang for the C9A2 LMG

 **C6 GPMG-** The C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon, however, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III

 **25MM CANNON-** The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"  
 **CARL GUSTAV-** The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.  
 **DANGER CLOSE-** A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position.

 **CH-146 GRIFFON-** The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-use utility helicopter of the Huey family, designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant for the Canadian Armed Forces

 **M32 MGL-** A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps)

 **BMQ-** Basic Military Qualification that ALL Canadian Forces members (Regardless of trade they chose) must go through prior to trade training (An Infantry soldier must do BMQ before going on his/her Infantry course)

 **IFAK-** Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest.


	5. Symphony of Destruction

_A/N: Apologies for the delay. With many many MANY University assignments and such, the chapter had to be pushed back. But we're back. Before we begin we've got to get something out of the way first;_

 _So the last chapter didn't get great reception. After reading some of the reviews, we believe there are some things that need clarification. Regarding the reveal of the two worlds to RNJR, you have to remember that Jack is a Private, the lowest rank in the army. He's not going to have the information, or frankly care at that moment, how he reveals that he's from another planet. He just fell back from an engagement that nearly killed him and is in the process of getting first aid from locals. Putting overwhelming fear, confusion and a lack of knowledge of the situation aside, I think it's fair to say that at that moment; he doesn't really care. The primary objective is to survive and revealing it in a dramatic fashion doesn't really matter at that moment in time. Yes, we know it's a story, but we are trying to stay true to how an Infantry Soldier would react in a situation in which his life is in immediate danger. Intel comes second while staying alive comes first. In this chapter, we hope to expand on the conversations between Jack and RNJR to hopefully compensate for this._

 _As for the issue of characters feeling indestructible, you make a fair and valid point. Our only response to that is; it's a story, and if the protagonist had broken bones and couldn't fight, it wouldn't be a very long or interesting ride. Watch any movie, show or game ever. People survive crazy things. It's also early in the story, so sit tight, there'll be plenty of injuries to go around! Hope this rectifies the issue; 50 or so troops (Infantry + Recce) landed on the beach in chapter 3. In chapter 4, Captain Dietz states that 24 men have been injured, numerous of them in critical condition. There have been two fights as of this chapter, the second one with far superior numbers which will ultimately have more casualties. _

_Regardless, your reviews are welcome and appreciated; we will take your criticism into consideration and hope to rectify any issues in the coming chapters as we want everyone to enjoy this as much as we do writing it._

 _On another note, we hope to return to the weekly Friday update schedule now that we're somewhat out of the woods regarding work and school assignments at the moment. On the bright side; this is the longest chapter so far, so we hope you enjoy it._

 _Now, on to the story:_

* * *

 _ **RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land**_

Chapter 5: Symphony of Destruction

* * *

 **VALE, REMNANT  
** **WOODS OF VALE**  
 **TIME- 06:05**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

Jack's eyes fluttered open, and light poured in through the tall trees. He had made it to he was still sore, the pain had greatly diminished overnight. He let out a yawn and began to look around. He saw Ren and Nora packing their sleeping bags into their packs, while Jaune was groggily climbing out of his sleeping bag. Looking to his immediate right, Jack spotted Ruby holding his C7A2, examining it carefully. The huntress canted the weapon side to side, looking for the magazine release. After locating the button on the right side of the rifle, she removed the magazine and racked back the charging handle, ejecting the round from the chamber. The longer she had the weapon, the more puzzled she looked.

While at first, Jack was tempted to seize the weapon out of fear of a negligent discharge, he came to be impressed by Ruby's weapon handling after she had cleared the rifle.

"You know how to use it?" Jack asked, startling the curious huntress.

"Oh! You're awake! Hope you're feeling a little better. Sorry, I shouldn't be messing with your stuff." Ruby placed the rifle down.

"Don't worry about it; I understand being curious." Jack slowly got up from the ground. "Have to ask, where'd you learn how to use it?"

"This? Well, the idea is the same as Crescent Rose...just...smaller. No offence."

"None taken...but uh, Crescent Rose?" Jack asked, unfamiliar with the name.

Ruby reached for the red object suspended from the small of her back. The object shifted, taking on the shape of a rifle, rather than the scythe he had seen the night prior. It was then that Jack realized that almost all of their weapons could shapeshift and take the form of other weapons, each deadlier than the last.

"This is Crescent Rose. My sweetheart! A scythe and also a high-impact sniper rifle."

The red rifle had an optic located on the top. On the lower part of the weapon, a large magazine was placed in it, with an exterior bolt action cocking handle on the side, proving to Carver that even on another planet, the ideal design of firearms remained the same, which explained how she was able to operate the C7A2 without previous experience.

"Badass." Jack admired the rifle for a few moments before picking up the discarded round and magazine from his C7. The magazine soon found its place in the weapon again while the spare round was stuffed into his pocket.

"What were you looking for?" He asked while looking over his rifle for discrepancies.

"Dust rounds or anything linking your weapon to dust..." Ruby admitted, rubbing her boot in the dirt.

"Didn't believe me about the dust, huh?" He chuckled with a cocked brow.

"I guess I just kinda had to see for myself, y'know?" She glanced at the weapon again.

On Remnant, almost everything ran on dust or had some relation to dust. Especially armaments. To find something such as Jack's C7 that seemed to have no reliance on dust, especially after his story, only served to reinforce the possibility that he was telling the truth and was in fact not from Remnant. Ruby had thought of returning to the site of the battle to examine it. Perhaps there, where contact between the 'Canadians' and the Grimm had been made, she would find evidence linking them to Jack's story. Other weapons, bodies, gear, anything like that. However, upon careful consideration, the overwhelming presence of Grimm served as her reason for not going through with the scouting operation.

"I get it. When we find my friends, they'll prove it to you. I don't expect you to take my word for it right off the bat. You'll see, I promise. You'll come to learn that I don't lie."

"I don't think you're lying...It's just kind of hard to believe."

"I understand, Ruby." Jack raised a hand, seeing no real issue with her skepticism. "Like I said last night, I don't even truly understand it. Right now, I'm talking with a person from a different planet after battling hostile creatures and traveling through an interplanetary portal. Sounds insane when you say it out loud."

During the night, team RNJR was semi-forced to take his word for it. Grimm had been nearby, and the situation was unprecedented. To waste time arguing and doubting it while Jack needed medical aid coinciding with the possibility of attack was ridiculous. While Jaune had expressed his doubt, the other three had been less concerned at the moment as adrenaline had been high and it seemed foolish to let their guard down and bombard the wounded soldier with questions. Now that the morning came and tensions were lowered, time allowed the questions to roll in.

"I had a look at your armour and gear too...Hope you don't mind, hehe." Ruby nervously chuckled with her arms behind her back.

Jack looked over his shoulder, to where his tactical vest and body armour lay in the grass beneath the rock formation.

"Find anything interesting?" Jack asked with a sly grin, hoping Ruby's findings would make her believe him.

"Well I was sifting through some pouches looking for dust ammo, and I found these." Ruby walked over to the pile of gear and opened a pouch on Jack's tactical vest, revealing the plethora of dog tags resting in it. "They have all these names on them...What are they?"

Jack's smile faded. "Identification tags. Everyone in the Canadian Forces wears them around their necks…" While he explained, Jack reached into the front of his shirt, fetching his own dog tags. He scanned the small metal tags with his eyes and traced the markings with his thumbs. His name, blood type, religious preference and date of birth were engraved on both labels. "They're used to identify the dead...You return them to the family once you retrieve them."

Ruby looked at the tags with new meaning. Each tag represented a dead soldier. Jack had been collecting them, seemingly to return them to their families. "...O-oh…" She closed the pouch. "...Sorry, I shouldn't have rummaged through them."

"You didn't know. It's not your fault."

"I'm sorry about your friends, Jack."

While Jack didn't know them personally, he considered anyone in the CF an ally and friend. To see them hurt or killed was extremely saddening. "Thanks, Ruby...I only wish I got here earlier. Maybe I could've helped them."

The two sat in silence for a minute before Jack cleared his throat and changed the subject back to their previous conversation to lighten the mood. "Find anything else of interest?"

Ruby perked up and looked at all of his equipment again. "Your body armour."

"What about it?"

"Never seen anything like it before!" Ruby shrugged.

"All of my friends have it. Standard issue to the Canadian Army." Jack grabbed the fragmentation vest and hauled it over to Ruby. "Here, try it on!"

He helped the girl don the CADPAT encasing, which was far too large for her.

"It's a little big!" Ruby waddled around, gaining the attention of the other Huntsmen and Huntress, who all chuckled.

"Ha, tell me about it. Let's just say it's not really designed for comfort." Jack chuckled and fished the spare round out of his pocket and displayed the bullet in his hand.

"That body armour is designed to stop these." He pressed the round against the ballistic plate covering Ruby's torso.

Ruby looked at the bullet, comparing it to the dust rounds that were employed into every firearm on Remnant. While in shape and design, they were similar, the dust had been replaced by gunpowder, and the colourful cartridge was absent. Even the armour was odd. It was bulky, awkward and difficult to move in.

"How's that gonna stop a slash or a stab?" Jaune asked, walking over to them. Armour on Remnant, most notably the Atlesian military, had been oriented more towards combating Grimm while Jack's kevlar weave vest with ballistic plates, was not.

"Well...back home, people usually just kill each other with bullets."

"Why? Are you at war or something?"

"Not Canada in particular. But there's always someone fighting someone for a plethora of reasons. No Grimm back on Earth, which makes humans the top dogs."

"No Grimm...That sounds like somewhere I'd want to be!" Jaune pictured the supposed Grimmless world that Jack described.

"Pfft, yeah." Jack nodded. "Never thought I'd catch myself saying I would rather be shot at. Anything's better than getting mauled by these freaks."

"We should go." Ren interjected into the conversation, pack thrown over his shoulder. "It would be wise to get to our destination quickly. Jack, how are you feeling?"

"Better. I should be able to walk on my own." Jack declared while aiding Ruby take the armour off and donning it himself.

The plate carrying vest clung to his body, causing slight irritation to his healing wounds, however, he was forced to deal with it if he wanted protection. Jack grabbed his tactical vest and extended his arms, attempting to put it on over the heavy armour. He instantly recoiled, groaning in reaction to a jolt of pain. A single item that appeared to be a sheet of paper fell from Jack's vest caused by the spur of movement.

"Let me help, you haven't healed fully yet!" Ruby rushed over, taking the tactical vest from him and guiding his arms through the loops carefully to avoid another reaction. She was concerned for his health, seeing little improvement.

"Thanks, Ruby." Jack held his side. "Still a little sore is all."

Jaune and Ruby looked at each other, both thinking that Jack was merely downplaying his injury.

"Hey." Ruby crouched down, just noticing the thin item Jack dropped. "You dropped this!"

Ruby observed the seemingly blank sheet of paper. She turned the paper to the other side, revealing it to be a polaroid picture. In the photo, three people stood shoulder to shoulder while a shorter one stood in front of them. A young boy accompanied by two parents smiled towards where the camera would have been. The older male, the father, wore a formal military DEU set with the proper PPCLI regimental patches and Officer markings as well as jump wings indicating the man was a paratrooper. Jack was among them. Rather than his CADPAT uniform, he wore simple civilian clothes comprised of jeans and a leather jacket. His usual clean-shaven face was absent while a stubble took its place.

"Is this you and your family?" Ruby asked, her eyes still scanning the photo.

"Ha, yeah that's us. That was me before I joined up. That's my little brother Alex in front there. And that's my mom and dad." Jack pointed to the respective figures as he listed off their names. "Hope I can make it back to them still standing. I'm nowhere near as good as my dad was at this Army stuff."

"You'll make it back." Ren interjected, offering words of reassurance.

Ruby handed Jack the photo with a smile. He stuffed the Polaroid into a safe pouch in his tactical vest after taking a long gaze at it.

Nora soon joined the crowd with her backpack on and her weapon slung over her shoulder. "Ready to go!" She declared with a smile.

The foreign soldier scoured the ground, searching for something with a perplexed expression.

"Son of a bitch." Jack murmured, still sifting through the grass where he had slept.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked, looking over his shoulder.

"My helmet. I must've lost it in the firefight..."

"If we're heading back, we may run into it along the way." Ren said while starting to walk along the path they had taken during the night.

"Hope so...don't really want to get harped at for losing kit while on an operation."

Jack took one last look before falling in behind team RNJR, who had begun their trek back to the beachhead. The soldier's teeth were grit for a majority of the trip, an attempt to prevent himself from cursing the whole way there in reaction to his still aching side.

"So, Jack!" Nora piped up from the front of the group, pushing sticks and branches out of the way to navigate the woods. "Tell us more about home!"

"Hmm. Well, looking around right now, it isn't that much different. Of course there are different climates all over the world, but Canada is mostly temperate and coniferous forests until you reach the colder climates of the North Pole. If you're looking for a more political picture to be painted, well, like I said earlier, no Grimm or anything like that, so that leaves room for political strife, power displays and stuff like that across the globe."

"It's strange that Humanity on your world would fight each other rather than unify." Ren said quizzically.

"Well, to be fair, it's not like humans don't fight each other here, as well." Jaune added. "My grandfather could attest to that…" Jaune looked down at his belt, where his weapon was suspended.

"Humanity does what Humanity does." Jack shrugged. "Differing agendas and such. Hopefully we realize that there's another enemy out there that just waged war on us last night. We'd stop fighting each other…We try to promote and keep the peace where we can, but sometimes it's just not enough."

"You're brave for trying." Ruby broke her silence in the conversation. The determination that came so easily to her lingered in her voice. "You're like us! You want to help. Am I right?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah. I want the world to be safer. For my family, for my friends, for everyone. Easier said than done and hopelessly optimistic, I know, I know." He chuckled.

Jaune's head turned to face Ruby. Ruby had mentioned that the one character trait she needed to see was the willingness to help others. Jaune pondered for a moment. While he'd still need to see and hear more, he started to see what Ruby was saying. Maybe, just maybe, she was right about their new friend.

"I've got to ask, though." Jack called out. "I don't doubt your abilities, but what are the four of you doing out here alone? I get that you're Huntsmen and that you want a lift to Mistral, wherever that is, but what's the goal here? What are four Huntsmen looking to get done? I'm curious is all."

"It's uhh...a bit of a long story." Jaune started.

A smirk formed on Jack's face. "Another fact about me; I like stories."

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT**  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **EARTH TIME- 06:30**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY**  
 **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC**  
 **MARPAC**  
 **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ**

Dietz and Reid stepped through the bulkhead into the CIC, removing their hat and beret respectively as they moved to the center of the room. Although small, the CIC of a warship is where everything happens. Fire control, emergency command, radar, sonar, all the ships operations are fed into one centralized room. The right side of the room was lined with combat stations, each manned by NCM's. On the left was a command station with links to all stations in the room, reserved for the CO. Although the room was compact, there was a large translucent board for writing details of operations. The board was filled with the names of the callsigns of LAV's, companies and aircraft. A tall officer did his rounds, overlooking each station as he passed. Unless otherwise addressed, members of the CIC were not required to come to attention due to the sensitive and crucial importance of their work. However, the officer did give an acknowledging nod to the officers.

"Right over here." Dietz lead the way to the center of the room, on the left side of the center whiteboard. "Lieutenant Granderson, we ready to get this show on the road?"

Lieutenant Granderson, who was talking with the fire control operators turned to face the officers and gave a brief salute. "Yes, sir. Once the engineers clear us we can fire on your order."

"Very well Lieutenant, keep me updated."

Ried and Dietz took their seats on the right side of the room, turning to face one another once they were seated.

"So, what's the plan of attack for my men?" Ried inquired, sitting back in the chair

"We will send out the companies under the cover fire of the Mark 45. We've loaded in three incendiary rounds to the feed. That'll wake up the beasties and get them to haul ass to the beachhead. Once the companies engage, we'll send in Farren and his fireteam where there will be much less resistance."

"Sounds good. What are the support option for my men?"

"We'll stay on station and rain in support where needed."

As Dietz went over the specifics of the plan, Granderson rounded the whiteboard to the officer's station.

"Sir, the engineers have finished loading in the belt feed and have concluded their primary inspection. The 5' inch is loaded and ready to fire."

"This is where the fun begins. Lieutenant, the order is given."

"Yes, sir." A small grin grew on the Lieutenant's face as he returned to the fire control station. This would be their first time firing the gun since getting it installed and serviced. "Surface, TAO, confirmed fire on kill track 5-0-2-4."

"TAO, surface aye. Firing kill-track 5-0-2-4."

The battle was about to begin.

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT**  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **EARTH TIME - 0635**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **MCPL FARREN**

In an instant, heavy gunfire filled the air. Even with ear protection, the overwhelming amount of fire from the beachhead was deafening, let alone the boom of the Mark 45 on the Brock shelling the shore.

"Master Corporal, you have the go! Begin your operation and bring our man home!" Reid once again came in over the radio for the final time.

"Roger that, Sir." Farren made his way to the cockpit of the Griffon and slammed his fist against the bulkhead to gain the attention of the Pilot and the Co-Pilot. "We're good to go! Let's get this show on the road!"

"Acknowledged!" The chopper pilot shouted back and began the startup sequence for the helicopter. The rotor blades slowly began to swivel and pick up speed until it was impossible to identify each blade due to their sheer speed. Soon, the CH-146 Griffon lifted off of the deck of the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock and made haste away.

Once the helicopter departed the air space of the Brock, the team received a full view of the unfolding battle. Sniper teams exited the safety of the Brock's inner decks and took up positions on the flight deck. The scarcely outfitted, elite sharpshooters deployed their bipods and took aim with the assistance of their spotters before promptly engaging ground targets. The cracks of the high caliber rifles joined in the symphony of destruction.

"The Lieutenant Colonel is throwing everything we've got at them!" Corporal Owens yelled while observing the sniper teams and feeding a belt onto his C9's feed tray.

"That should buy us some time!" Jerome tapped his foot eagerly awaiting the moment to disembark and rescue his friend. Jerome's attention was on the fleet of LAV's rolling onto the beachhead, annihilating the tree line with their primary weapons. Soon, their ramps would drop, opening the floodgates for the angry grunts looking for payback.

"Feast your eyes, boys. You're getting a rare look into an actual can of whoop ass." Lieutenant-Commander Kendall smirked and placed his aviators upon his face, shielding his eyes from the rising sun.

Farren stayed relatively silent while observing the mayhem on the ground. Shortly after the initial barrages from the combined firepower of the Brock and the Armour in the field, the first waves of hostiles came into view. Though they were swiftly eradicated by the fire, their numbers were simply augmented by hidden swarms in the woods. It was early in the fight, and he already had a bad feeling about the outcome, fearing a similar result to that of the night prior. They would have to be as swift as possible in their search to ensure minimal casualties to the ground force.

The Griffon helicopter gained significant distance from the battle, but it could be heard for miles. It approached another part of the coastline visually shielded from the battleground, hopefully providing cover from their foe. The helicopter lowered itself to roughly two meters above the ground, hovering in place.

"This is your stop!" The co-pilot leaned out of her chair, giving them a thumbs up.

"Come on, let's do this!" Kendall lept out alongside Owens and Jerome, who immediately hit the deck to secure the drop zone.

"Thanks for the lift!" Farren yelled back to the co-pilot.

"No problem! We'll stay on station as long as we can! Signal us with red smoke for extraction once you're ready!"

"Copy that!"

Farren jumped from the passenger compartment and walloped the dirt. His eyes scanned the immediate surroundings. At the moment, he could confirm that no hostiles were present in the vicinity. For now, the contingent of Infantry had the enemy's attention. Master Corporal Farren cocked his weapon before turning to the men in his team.

"Okay, time to get this show on the road. Don't fire unless you absolutely have to, we don't want these bastards turning their attention to us while we have no clue where we are."

The other three men nodded.

"And sir, not that I don't think you won't kick ass, but I'd prefer if you were closer to the rear. Just for your protection, sir."

"Your team, your rules, Farren. Show me what you can do." Kendall nodded.

"With pleasure, sir." With a wave of his hand, he gave the signal to move out. "Let's go."

The four-man team rose up out of the grass, weapons raised. In a diamond formation, they made their way to the tree line. Farren was the tip of the spear, carrying his C7 rifle while Owens covered the left flank, the assumed direction of the enemy advance, with the C9. Jerome's C7 covered the right while Lieutenant-Commander Kendall guarded their rear with a C8 Carbine. Concerning firepower, they were decently outfitted for a four-man team.

 **VALE, REMNANT**  
 **WOODS OF VALE**  
 **TIME- 0635**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

"Hold on.." Ren stopped and looked around the heavily wooded area.

"What is it?" Jack asked, raising his rifle.

"Does anybody else hear that?" Jaune asked, making his way to the front of the group.

A distant hum was audible from the direction they were marching. The hum became stronger as time went on, in intensity as well as proximity. Jack grinned, recognizing the sound as an approaching column of LAV's.

"That, ladies and gentlemen, is the cavalry." Jack joined Jaune and Ren at the front of their patrol, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "Looks like they realized they left someone behind and they're coming to res-"

A large crack and bright flash interrupted Jack's boast. The boom caused all five of them to flinch and gaze in confusion towards the point of origin. Almost immediately after, an explosion rocked the earth not too far away from them. Dirt and shredded trees were tossed into the air in all directions. The young warriors all recoiled from the sudden devastation and all instinctively dropped low to the ground. Shortly after the initial detonation, numerous impacts battered the tree line, with some missing their targets and entering the woods, near team RNJR and Jack.

"Stay down!" Jack yelled over the explosions.

Each of them hugged the dirt, avoiding the splinters and rock debris flying all around.

"Why are they shooting at us?!" Jaune shouted.

"They're not! At least I don't think so! The splash is too far for them to be effectively targeting us!" Jack slowly and painfully crawled further to get a better look through the brush.

He had to bring up his rifle and aim down the sight to spot the friendly forces that were once again assaulting the beach. His eyes widened upon laying his eyes upon the massive force occupying the beach. Dozens of LAV's and several Leopards rolled onto the sand, guns blazing. Even the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock had come closer to land to bombard it with its heavy weaponry. Soon, hundreds of Infantry soldiers poured out of the LAV's and moved into extended lines with their respective sections and platoons while the armoured vehicles pounded the tree line.

Ruby crawled up next to Jack and looked down the scope of Crescent Rose while taking cover behind a collapsed tree.

"What are they doing, Jack?"

"...I can't tell...Just makin' noise by the looks of it. But that's gotta at least be a company or two of guys out there, plus some Engineers...They wouldn't deploy that many guys for nothing...Just stay down for now, guys!"

As the shelling continued, it was Nora who was the first to hear a loud sound differing from the bombardment, originating behind them. "...Uhh...Guys…"

"How do we get to them?" Ruby asked Jack, failing to hear Nora over the cannon fire.

"Don't think we're gonna be able to get to them until they stop firing. Just have to wait."

"Guys!" Nora yelled frantically.

"What's up, Nora?" Jack turned rolled onto his back and lifted his head, investigating Nora's constant grab for attention. Ruby did the same.

"... _Oh come on_ …" Jaune muttered upon noticing dozens of Beowolves emerge from deeper in the woods.

The sound Nora had heard was their howling getting closer by the moment. The beasts had been alerted by the barrage of fire from the beach. In packs, the Grimm made their way towards the beach to engage the RCR Infantry waiting for them. However, to get to the beach, they would have to pass right by RNJR and Carver.

"Nobody move." Ruby whispered. "Maybe they won't see us…"

As they drew in closer, a handful of the Beowolves turned their heads towards the group and began to growl aggressively.

"They see us." Ren sighed, unamused.

"We can take em!" Nora said excitedly.

"Way too many of them!" Jaune analyzed the pack, which outnumbered them in dozens.

"Change of plans!" Jack quickly rose to his feet, shouldering his rifle. "Book it!"

"Where?!" Nora asked while reaching for Magnhild, her signature weapon.

"Anywhere but here!" Ruby answered. "Come on!"

Jack squeezed the trigger of his rifle, ejecting a burst of small arms fire towards the advancing Grimm. He had attempted to fire an M203 round, forgetting he had depleted his 40mm grenades during their last engagement. He cursed before turning on his heel and following the others through the woods. The Grimm and the fire coming from the beach unintentionally formed a bottleneck around them, forcing the young warriors to run in a path parallel to their intended destination to avoid being obliterated or the alternative of being mauled.

The remainder of RNJR drew their weapons and dodged the raining explosions and fragmentation of trees and dirt all while outrunning the detachment of Grimm pursuing them.

 _"HERE THEY COME! OPEN FIRE!"_ A distant scream filled the air during a lull in the fire. Moments later, an absolute hellfire of small arms and heavy caliber weapons fire filled the air and began shredding the tree line where RNJR and Jack had previously been standing. Soon, there would not be much else to provide cover for their escape.

A significant portion of the pursuing Grimm had been annihilated, only for wave after wave to replace them. A handful of Beowolves intercepted RNJR from their front and prepared to strike, only to moments later be obliterated by a 155mm shell. The ensuing explosion knocked everyone to the ground, covering them with dirt and the remnants of trees. Ren and Jaune collided with each other after being tossed by the shockwave.

Jack's ears rang from the tank shell. He managed to raise himself to a knee while trying to reorient himself. His vision was blurred by the dirt and smoke. Jack looked around, seeing the members of team RNJR engaging in close quarters battle all while attempting to dodge the incoming fire. Jaune and Ren had both recovered and cut their way through the Grimm who were closing in fast. Jaune's blade tore through the Beowolves while the gunfire from Ren's weaponry stalled the approaching reserves and made short work of the two-legged 'Creeps.' Nora crushed any Grimm that broke their lines, and Jack could hardly see Ruby, only a red blur zipping across the battlefield. Her sheer speed mixed with his disorientation made her invisible. All the Huntsmen were skilled and amazing to watch. Even during a battle, Jack could notice skill.

Tracer rounds from C9 light machine guns flew into the tree line, narrowly missing their position. Amidst the confusion, Jack barely saw the Ursa charging through the gunfire, merely shaking off any small caliber round making contact through the brush. The already lacking in power 5.56 caliber round native to the C7, C8, and C9's lost even more power when passing through the forest, doing even less damage to the already resilient creature of Grimm.

Running out of options, Jack, out of instinct, raised his rifle and fired the entirety of his magazine into the Ursa, to little effect as he expected. He braced for another swat from the Ursa, until the erratic red blur stopped in front of the creature, twirling her massive red scythe around, dismembering the Ursa piece by piece. Her fluid movements and lethal strikes made her routine look like a dance of death. To finish the beast, Ruby planted her scythe into the ground, barrel pointing towards the hostile and pulled the trigger, blowing the remains of the creature away.

Once she dispatched the Ursa, Ruby aided Jack to his feet and pushed him along to follow the rest of RNJR away from the fire.

"Come on! Let's go!"

"That's two I owe you! Thanks!" Jack yelled while slamming a fresh magazine into his C7.

"Don't mention it!"

Constant explosions rocked the ground next to them, often throwing them to the ground or decimating the Grimm following them. While they ran, they passed a small clearing between the tree line and the beach. Whether or not it was natural or had been made by the bombardment was unknown, but unimportant. Jack was tempted to veer their course through the clearing and make a mad dash for the LAVs to escape the Grimm and heavy fire, however, moments later, 25mm shells came pouring in from the clearing. The first round, a bright red tracer, sped towards Jaune, who had been running past the clearing.

"Down!" Jack dove into Jaune, tackling the knight to the ground. The round went off seconds later against a tree, sending splinters into both their armour.

"Whoa!" Jaune yelled while going down, oblivious as to how close the 25mm shell came to making contact with his body. If it had, there wouldn't be much left of him.

"Up!" Jack yelled again before forcing Jaune to his feet. The two men continued to run alongside one another.

While they escaped the immediate arcs of fire of the small arms, the heavy artillery still pounded the earth in their vicinity. They weren't out of the woods yet, figuratively and literally.

 **VALE, REMNANT**  
 **WOODS OF VALE**  
 **EARTH TIME - 0706**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **MCPL FARREN**

Farren lifted his left hand and gave the hand signal to halt. All four men lowered to a knee and observed their surroundings while doing their best to listen for movement over the gunfire. He sighed. The battle was far too loud to hear anything other than explosions and falling trees.

"... _Can't hear shit_ …" Farren shook his head, unsure of how he was going to find a lone soldier in unknown territory amidst an intense conflict between two companies of Infantry soldiers and an army of indigenous creatures.

"What next, boss?" Owens asked, eyes scanning the distant trees for any movement.

"We keep moving."

"How are we gonna find him in all this crap?" Jerome shrugged.

"We will boys, relax. If your Master Corporal says we will, we wi-" Lieutenant-Commander Kendall spoke only to be interrupted by a shout in the distance.

" _KEEP MOVING_!" The shout was followed by a few bursts of automatic fire. The pop of the rifle was akin to that of a C7A2.

"What the hell was that?" Owens lifted his C9 and aimed in the direction of the shout, trying to use the scope to spot whatever or whoever was making the noise. However, the explosions kicked up too much dirt to determine if anything was there.

"That's one of our guns, Master Corporal!" Jerome said eagerly, resisting the urge to burst into a sprint.

"Let's move!" Farren stood and began running towards the origin.

"Boss! What are you doing?! That's where the arty is falling! We're gonna get utterly wiped out!"

Farren stopped and turned to face Corporal Owens. While Owens was a trusted friend, Farren grew tired of the arguments regarding their objective. He grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in. "If that's Jack, we're going in! He'd do the same for you, Sam!"

"...Goddamn it….Okay...Alright, Alright. Let's do it." Owens sighed and readied his weapon. His hesitance was not due to a dislike of Jack, but due to running into a field being bombarded with artillery. Some things were crazy, even by Infantry standards. His fear was warranted.

"This is gonna be fun! Grunts, don't tell the Captain, he may get a little worried that his XO went sprinting into artillery fire." Kendall grinned and raised his C8.

"Roger that, Sir." Farren looked at the troops under his command and gave the hand signal to move.

"Saving Private Carver…" Jerome muttered, referencing the popular film adaptation of Operation Overlord, more commonly known as D-Day.

Farren chuckled, seeing some parallels between Overlord and their current situation. Running into heavy artillery and small arms fire all while searching for a Private.

"Does that make Jack Matt Damon?" Owens asked, trying to relax himself with humour.

"I guess so." Master Corporal Farren shrugged. "Though I'm the section commander, I don't see myself as much of a Tom Hanks Captain type. I'd give that to you, Sir." He gestured to Kendall, who immediately shook his head.

"Nah, I'm more of a Tom Cruise kind of guy." Kendall grinned once again.

Each man took a deep breath before stepping off deeper into the woods, chasing the origin of the yell. Just prior to Kendall stepping off, his grin grew wider, and he pushed his aviators higher on his nose, adjusting them.

"...Highway to the Dangerzone…"

 **VALE, REMNANT**  
 **WOODS OF VALE**  
 **EARTH TIME - 0710**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

A large screech rang out, echoing through the forest, louder than the barrage. A shadow passed overhead, darkening the woods as it progressed through the trees.

Jack looked up, seeing a massive bird-like Grimm soaring overhead, heading straight for the beachhead. "What the hell is that!?" He recalled Grove mentioning the creatures tearing apart the hull of the Endeavour, but they were significantly larger than he had anticipated.

"That's a Nevermore!" Nora provided Jack with a name to the massive sky bound hostile.

"A what?!"

"Don't stop!" Jaune pushed Jack forward.

After swiftly firing a burst into the pursuing enemy, Jack started to sprint again. While the rifle seemed to be somewhat effective against the smaller targets, it still had the same limited damage on the Beowolves and higher class enemies.

While most of the small arms fire was now concentrated away from the group, heavy artillery still battered the forest.

"Where do we go?" Ren shouted after being cut off by another tank shell.

"Follow me!" Jack darted through the smoke, waving his hand forward.

Jack led the Huntsmen further away from the artillery beaten zone, getting closer to the adjacent beachhead that would guarantee their safety from friendly fire. The longer they ran, the more winded they became, which would severely hinder their ability to fight should the need arise. Amidst that thought, four figures appeared in the distance, mantling over fallen trees. Due to the smoke and fatigue, it was hard to make out the identity of the approaching figures. At first, Jack was tempted to engage, only to stop himself once noticing that the figures donned similar armour and uniforms to him, distinguishing them from the mindless beasts stalking them.

"Carver!" The lead figure yelled.

Jack's face lit up. Friendlies.

"Hey!" He yelled back, flailing his free hand frantically.

"Are they your friends?!" Ruby caught up to Jack, trying to get a better look at the approaching figures.

"Yeah, that's them alright!"

"Jack, you've got hostiles on you! Get down!" The lead figure, Master Corporal Farren, yelled while taking up a sight picture with his rifle.

In reaction, Jack turned his to identify the threat. The only contacts immediately surrounding him was team RNJR. He looked back. Farren's rifle was lined up to Ruby, who was on Jack's immediate right.

"No! _NO_!" Jack shouted.

His warning was too late, however, as Farren's finger squeezed the trigger, sending the round down the barrel, towards the unsuspecting Huntress. The flash of the muzzle indicated to Jack that the round was inbound, heading straight for his new ally, and saviour.

"Look out!' Jack leaped to his right, shoving Ruby to the ground and out of harm's way.

"Whoa, hey!" The unexpected move from Jack caught her off guard.

A split second later, the 5.56mm round struck Jack in the chest, throwing him back to the dirt with a loud grunt.

"JACK!" Both Farren and Ruby yelled loudly in shock.

Jack lay on his side, hands clutching his chest, clawing at the fragmentation vest while coughing violently. Ruby recovered from the shove and rushed to his side, crawling to him. She rolled him onto his back to examine the severity of the wound. Jack's hands blocked her view.

"Lemme see!" Ruby grabbed the dazed soldier's hands, placing them at his sides.

The moment his hands came away, Ruby had expected to see blood pouring from Jack's chest where the bullet had connected. However, what she saw was the torn CADPAT fabric of his vest revealing a steel ballistic plate. An impact mark was left against the steel, indicating that he was in fact hit. The level 3+ ballistic plate made short work of the 5.56 round. Regardless, he coughed heavily and gasped for air and shifted in pain. While ballistic plates were designed to stop bullet penetration, they could not stop the kinetic energy of a projectile traveling more than 3,000 feet per second. The impact would almost always force the soldier down and knock the wind out of him or her.

"Jack! Jack, are you okay!?" Farren slung his rifle and sprinted to Jack's side, taking a knee opposite of Ruby, who was inspecting Jack for injury. Upon seeing that the plate took the hit, Farren let out a sigh of relief. "Holy shit, I shot you!"

"You shot me!" Jack shouted in between his coughing fits.

"You shot him!" Ruby joined in the yelling.

"I wasn't aiming for you! I was aiming for her!" Master Corporal Farren pointed at the red-caped girl.

"Hey! What did I do?!"

"I thought you were a bad guy!" He shrugged.

"Do I look like a Grimm?!"

"What the hell is a Grimm?!"

Kendall, Owens, and Lewis arrived just as the remainder of RNJR did. All six of them had their weapons drawn on one another.

"...When I said I'd rather be shot at earlier...I didn't mean it…" Jack coughed again.

"Ruby! What happened?!" Jaune shouted after raising his shield in defence of the numerous weapons pointed at him and his team.

"What do we do boss?!" Jerome pleaded for a command; his rifle pointed at the unknown warriors. The longer they waited there, the pursuing Grimm that survived the artillery bombardments closed the gap and the likelihood of an artillery round striking their position rose.

"Don't!" Jack coughed and tried to recover to no avail. "Don't shoot!"

"What's going on, Private?" Kendall asked, hesitant to lower his C8. "Who are these people?"

"Friends, Sir!" Jack clutched his chest and once again tried to stand up to act as a buffer between the two teams. Ruby kept him pinned to the ground as moving so soon after the injury was unwise. "They saved my life! Don't shoot!"

A loud howl alerted the large group to the approaching pack of hostiles.

"Shit!" Owens fought the urge to unleash a hail of bullets from his C9.

"Ruby, we can't stay here." Ren turned to face the approaching Grimm, loading fresh magazines into his weapons.

"Farren, your team, your call!" Kendall shouldered his C8, taking aim at the Grimm getting closer.

Farren looked at Jack and then to Ruby, who was staring right back at him. The red girl who tended to Jack had a look of inherent innocence unique to her. He didn't know anything about the strangers, but something told Farren that the girl was the reason Jack was still alive.

"Stand down! Stand down!" He stood up and forced the barrels of his colleagues away from RNJR.

"Here they come!" Nora yelled, firing a few grenades from her weapon before changing the weapon to it's Warhammer form to switch to melee combat.

"Focus fire on the Wolf bastards! Sir, cover our six! Owens, cut em' up! Lewis, get on the left with the pink girl! Nothing gets through!" Farren lifted his rifle and engaged the Grimm while Owens dropped to his stomach to deploy the bipod on his C9. He stepped between Jaune and Ren while emptying his ammunition into the Grimm.

Small arms fire once again erupted in the forest, albeit in a much smaller manner than the beach assault.

"Get him on his feet!" Farren yelled to Ruby while pointing at Jack.

"Are you okay?!" Ruby finally had the chance to ask while tugging at Jack's sleeve, attempting to lift him up.

After coughing some more, Jack nodded, obviously playing off his new injury. "I'm good!"

An abrupt growl and the sound of snapping twigs interrupted their conversation. A Creep, the smaller class of Grimm, dove out of the bushes in direct proximity of where they stood. Jack reached for his C7, only to find that is was too far away. Ruby also spotted the creature, however too late to draw Crescent Rose and quickly dispatch it. She ducked over Jack, sheltering the wounded soldier. They braced for contact, only for Lieutenant-Commander Kendall to intervene at the last moment.

The Naval Officer grabbed the creature by the tail and dragged it away with a loud grunt. Kendall slammed the beast to the ground and pressed his boot against its chest, pinning it to the ground. The Brock's X.O. shoved the barrel of his C8 against the neck of the Creep and squeezed the trigger on automatic, shredding it to pieces.

"Nice save sir!" Jack said in amazement. While no one doubted Kendall's tactical mind, it was often interesting to see a primarily non-combat arms CF member engage in combat. And Kendall was indeed impressive.

"Don't mention it, kid." Kendall said, grabbing Jack by the tactical vest and promptly lifting him to his feet. "You can buy me a beer back on the Brock." The Lieutenant-Commander grabbed Jack's C7 off of the ground and shoved it against his chest.

"Can you fight?" He asked, gesturing to the impact on his plate.

"Yes, sir! Just a scratch!" Jack slammed his fist against the steel plate to display how little pain there was. He was lying, of course, as his fist pressuring the steel against his torso caused significant discomfort.

"Prove it to me, soldier!" Kendall smirked.

Master Corporal Farren looked over his shoulder to investigate the gunfire. Seeing Jack back on his feet and the threat eliminated by Lieutenant-Commander Kendall, he came to the conclusion that now was the perfect time to make a dash for the chopper landing zone and pop smoke for extraction.

"Alright! Fall back to the LZ! Go!" He grabbed Jaune and Ren by the shoulders and shoved them behind him, putting them out of harm's way. "You too, mighty Thor!" Farren stepped in front of Nora, who had been smashing Grimm with her hammer.

"What about you guys?! Don't hog all of the fun!"

"Just go!" Farren shouted. Nora complied, joining RNJR, Kendall and Jack in moving away from the battle.

"Let's go, Farren!" Kendall yelled.

"Roger that, Sir! Okay boys, let's get the hell out of here! Lewis, move!"

Jerome emptied the remainder of his magazine before turning tail to run like hell.

"Okay Sam, you and me! Let's go!"

Owens unloaded the belt of C9 to provide covering fire for the others before collapsing the bipod and joining them.

Farren and Owens quickly caught up with the retreating element making haste for the beach. The Master Corporal rushed to Jack's side, who was surprisingly still standing and running at top speed.

"You feelin' alright there, Carver?"

"Oh never better, Master Corporal. I've barely slept, I got slammed into a metal bulkhead, I was a punching bag for a couple of bear Grimm, and I just got shot. Yeah, I'd say I'm havin' a wonderful time! Good thing I bought level 3+ plates before going on deployment."

"Don't think we're allowed to swap out our armour, Jack." Jerome said, contributing to the conversation.

"Yeah well, probably a good thing I did, or I'd probably have a round in my torso right now."

"Fair point." Jerome shrugged. "But where's your helmet?"

"Lost it when an Ursa Grimm smacked me on the beach, shortly after you dragged that wounded dude out of danger."

"You keep saying, 'Grimm' what is that?" Farren asked, looking for clarification.

"They're the bastards that hit the Endeavour and that are on our tail right now. Those things." Jack lifted his hand, using his thumb to point to the huge mob chasing them.

"Oh. Those." Farren started. "Wait, how much do you learn while you were out here?"

"More than Grove told us, that's for sure." Jack dug into his pocket, retrieving his notepad. "Got it all written down. The CO needs to see this."

"Aha! Carver you genius!" Owens shouted while slamming another belt into his weapon. All men were understandably excited to gain any intelligence on the enemy they'd likely be fighting for a while.

"Don't thank me, thank them." Jack gestured to RNJR, who took the lead alongside Lieutenant-Commander Kendall.

"We'll focus on introductions once we're out of this shit storm." Farren said coldly. "I have a feeling the CO will want to talk to them too."

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT**  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **EARTH TIME- 0727**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY**  
 **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC**  
 **MARPAC**  
 **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ**

Beckett had positioned the ship perfectly so that the Mark.45 had full access to cover ground forces on the beachhead. And in order to launch Griffons, she also dropped anchor so that they could take off. Although the sturdiness and stability of the Cyclone helicopters were unmatched, they didn't have the troop space of a Griffon. Despite the ship being engaged in combat, the ship was silent as the grave. Throughout the screens of the CIC, helmet cams of soldiers filled the screens, mainly views from LAV gunners and a view from the Sea-Avenger UAV. Doctor Grove as well as combat analysts huddled around a screen at the back of the room, watching the creatures. Each of them held a notebook and frantically noted everything from visual descriptions and combat patterns to temporary naming conventions to identify them easily. With any luck, they could produce a field guide for the men to get acquainted with the land and the creatures they'd be fighting. TAO Granderson walked along the combat stations, arms crossed. From time to time, he would lean in and give orders to change the camera angle of the Sea Avenger or to prioritize one of the creatures with the Mark 45. For the most part, the room was silent as the sailors worked away. From time to time, they would get up from their stations and update the white board with ammo count, the number of injured and overall combat strength of the enemy. Ried was focused on the drone camera, giving a bird's eye view of the battlefield, visually worried, yet confident in his men's abilities. While scanning the room, Dietz spotted the radar officer take off her headset, placing it beside her keyboard and getting up from her chair. Anticipating an update, Dietz, too, stood up

"TAO, Radar."

"Go ahead Radar." Granderson was on the other side of the room, but starting to move to the radar officer.

"Sir, I am tracking 15 plus targets inbound." the Chief Petty Officer quickly glanced back down at her monitor, revising her previous statement "Cross, no data now sir. Now a large cluster of targets inbound."

Dietz now joined in, approaching the translucent white board. The radar officer turned, despite being separated by the board, she tried looking him and Granderson in the eye.

"Hostile?" Dietz inquired

"No idea sir. I will need visual confirmation to be sure."

Dietz paused to think. If they were in radar range and had not attacked, there was a chance they were unaffected by the battle on the shore. It was entirely possible this was a new airborne unit that was not hostile.

"Doctor, come over here."

Despite his named being called, the doctor remained seated, seemingly unaware he was being summoned.

"Doctor." Dietz repeated, now raising his voice louder to be heard.

Grove jumped a little, now hearing his named being called. Quickly removing his headset, he navigated his way towards the terminal, taking a small glance at the cluster of targets before meeting the captain face to face.

"Apologies Captain, what seems to be the problem?"

"During your time here, did you or your team ever come across wildlife that was friendly?"

"Captain, I'm afraid this planet does not know the meaning of the word, friendly."

There was a small part of Dietz wanted to wait, perhaps the Doctor was wrong. There was no need in antagonizing a seemingly unaffected part of the planet's ecosystem. Then he remembered the Endeavour. The way the ship hull was bent and ripped into like a Christmas present. There were no second chances here. He was not going to take a chance with their only way back home. Their best chance at surviving on the planet.

"Comms, call the bridge. I want eyes on these things. TAO, prep the RAM's and R2. The minute we get in range of these things you open fire with everything we've got. "

"Aye, sir. Surface, TAO. Prep and load point and air defences, stand by for fire order."

"TAO, surface aye. Standing by."

Dietz now moved towards one of the last terminals in the room, right beside the door. As he leaned in beside the attending sailor, Dietz lifted one of the muffs from the seaman's ear so that he could hear Dietz clearly. Dietz didn't want the crew to know that Kendall had left the ship. As far as the crew knew, Private Carver wasn't even missing.

"Ops?" Dietz whispered, as to not startle the sailor

"Yes, sir?"

"Contact Kendall and get him back on the Brock. I don't want to misplace another four soldiers."

"Shall I contact their Griffon as well sir?"

"Do it. I want them on that bird and back on the ship before those, things get here. If they don't, there will be no chance of extraction until we repel them."

"I also have Lieutenant Beckett for you on the bridge."

"Thank you, comms."

Dietz took a second headset from the sailors terminal, switching on the mic and nodding to the sailor to connect him to the bridge.

"Ash, do you have eyes on targets?"

"Aye sir, we're getting the feed from CIC. OOW's have marked them at five mikes out."

"Draw anchor and rotate 90 degrees starboard. Come full astern, flank one. Let's hit these bastards head on."

 **VALE, REMNANT**  
 **WOODS OF VALE**  
 **EARTH TIME - 0734**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

Finally, the group of nine exited the tree line onto the beach that Farren and company had dropped in on. Farren sprinted to the front of the group and waved them through the trees.

"Come on, move it!"

The section sized team pushed to the edge of the beach, just before the calm water. Owens immediately dropped down once again with a loud, frustrated grunt before aiming the weapon at the tree line. Carrying the C9 for hours and constantly dropping and getting up once again taxed the gunner.

"What's the plan here, Jack?" Jaune looked around, seeing no method of escape.

"Yeah, it's a dead end!" Nora added, facing the water.

"We've got a chopper in the area." Kendall dumped the nearly empty magazine from his rifle and searched for a fresh one.

"A chopper?" Ruby asked. "What's that?"

"Uhh...A Chopper is an aircraft that's-"

"Oh like an airship!" Nora interrupted.

"...Yeah, sure." Jack shrugged.

Ren joined in, watching the sky. "...Hopefully, the Nevermores don't impede its progress."

"Okay, get ready everyone!" Farren yelled while reaching into his tactical vest grenade pouch, searching for the red smoke grenade given to him by the chopper crew. Once the cylinder was in his grasp, he unscrewed the cap and prepared to strike the top of the device with the cap. In a swift motion, the Master Corporal slammed the grenade, instantly lighting it. His vision was filled with the bright red smoke that followed. He discarded the cylinder to the sand, waiting for the smoke to rise high enough to summon the CH-146 Griffon.

"Hopefully they had enough fuel to stick around." Jerome muttered.

"Yeah, or we're screwed." Owens chimed in.

"They'll be here." Jack said while rummaging through his ammo pouches. "Anybody got any fourty mike-mike rounds?"

"Yeah, here kid." Farren found three 40mm rounds in his vest and handed them off, replenishing Jack's M203.

"Thanks." Jack fed the grenade into the tube and slammed it shut, readying it for use. "Ruby, ready to show my friends what you and your team can do?"

"You bet!"

Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose and deployed it in its Scythe form. The whirring that Jack had earlier heard now caught the attention of Farren and the rest of the team who had not yet seen RNJR's bombastic weaponry and abilities.

All of their jaws slacked. They looked in awe at the size of the weapon and its ability to change forms so quickly and easily.

"Is that...A Scythe?!" Jerome backed away from the deceivingly innocent girl.

"It's also a gun." Ruby gave a thumbs up.

Owens, who was belly down in the sand, looked up. "...What the fu-"

"They're here." Jaune said while unsheathing Crocea Mors, eyes locked on the tree line where numerous howls and snarls could be heard.

Farren looked around the airspace, looking for the chopper. "...Where the hell are they?!"

"Orders?" Jack's fingers met the triggers of his rifle and his grenade launcher, anxiously awaiting the enemy horde to emerge from the concealment of the trees. The scenario was strikingly similar to the previous day's battle.

"Owens in the middle, use the C9 to thin them out. Carver, the moment they come through, hit them with a shell of 40mm. Sir, you and I are on their sides with rifles."

Each soldier took their place, aiming down their sights.

"What about us?" Ruby asked.

"...How much damage can that thing do?" Farren asked.

Jack chuckled, excited to see Crescent Rose in action again.

"Plenty." Ruby assured.

"Take the center next to Corporal Owens and Private Carver. If they get too close, tear them apart. The same goes for the rest of you. Use ranged attacks until they're close. I'm counting on you four to keep my men alive in close quarters."

"You can count on us!" Nora grinned while Magnhild formed back into its Grenade Launcher state.

"Boss, we can't make them fight, they're teenagers for god's sake!"

"And what am I?" Jack asked with a brow raised.

"That's different."

"They proved themselves in the forest, and I'm not about to turn down help. Like it or not it's our best bet. Now keep your eyes down range, we're about to have company."

The first Beowolf emerged, growling violently at the sight of the Canadians and team RNJR. The monstrosity was much larger than its counterparts. More bone plating covered the creature that stood on its hind legs, rather than all four. The roar let out was significantly louder and much more aggressive.  
"You've got to be kidding me...What the hell is that?!"

"That, would be an Alpha." Ren muttered.

 _"LIGHT THAT SON OF A BITCH UP!"_ Farren commanded.

Jack launched a shell from his M203, decimating the brush and a few lower class Beowolves surrounding the Alpha. However, it did nothing but agitate the Alpha itself.

"Oooooh, that's not good!" Jack took aim with his rifle and began to fire, as did Owens with the C9.

"Give it everything you've got!" Kendall fired upon the Alpha that stormed its way toward them.

The beast charged towards the center of their extended line, putting Ruby, Jack, and Owens in the direct line of sight.

"Die god damn it!" Owens held down the trigger, spewing link and casings out the side of the machine gun.

"Oooooh, shit!" The Alpha Beowolf was right on top of them. Jack let his rifle hang as he moved to avoid a slash from the creature. He grabbed Ruby and Owens and dove out of the way, narrowly avoid the claws of the Alpha. All three of them tumbled in the wet sand.

"Ruby!" Jaune yelled, preparing to charge the Alpha with his blade.

Farren grabbed the boy by the arm. "Focus on the horde, kid!"

"But what about them!?"

"Trust your friend and my men, they can handle it! But if we get overrun, we're all dead anyway!"

Reluctantly, Jaune listened and turned his back, cutting down the approaching Grimm in anger.

Jack got to his feet, hands and knees soaked from the water inching closer to the shore. He didn't bother shouldering his rifle as the target was close enough to hit without the use of his optic. The Grimm creature set its sights on Jack and Owens who had slowly recovered. Both men fired on the Alpha. The massive Beowolf raised its arm, preparing to strike.

Ruby yelled while dashing forward with Crescent Rose. She swung her scythe, impaling the leg of the Alpha. The beast turned while roaring and swat the Red Huntress away, much to her surprise.

"Die you prick!" Owens yelled again, garnering its attention.

"Oh come on, Corporal! You pissed it off!" Jack was reloading when the Alpha came back to deal with them.

Carver ducked just in time to avoid the heavy handed swat coming from the aggravated creature. Owens, however, was not as lucky. The Alpha's hand made contact with Owens' side, sending him flying into the water. The Alpha assaulted Jack like a bull who had just seen red as it constantly swung for him. Jack had to constantly duck and roll to avoid getting hit. Luckily, Ruby came to his aid. The red blur amputated the Alpha's arm and swung the giant scythe in an attempt to sever the creature into two pieces. The blade of the scythe was lodged into the Alpha's abdomen.

To make the best of the situation, Ruby pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose's firing mechanism, expecting the jerk of movement to result in the desired effect. However, only the notorious click of a depleted magazine could be heard. Her ammo had been depleted while firing on the mass amounts of Grimm assaulting the beach.

"I'm out of ammo!" Ruby shouted while trying to retrieve her Scythe from the Alpha.

"Covering!" Jack advanced while bombarding the Alpha with a plethora of rounds, shooting until the magazine was depleted. The beast shook violently, trying to dislodge the Scythe and the huntress who hung on for dear life.

Just as Jack went to load another 40mm shell, Ruby had been launched from her place in the sand and sent crashing into Jack. They both winced upon contact. The collision caused Jack to drop the 40mm. The Alpha moved in for the kill, raising its remaining arm to impale the two downed warriors with its claws.

"Jack, here!" Ruby scrambled for the 40mm round discarded in the sand. She quickly retrieved the shell, moments away from being stabbed by the Alpha.

"Load it!" Jack pointed to the release button on the M203 that would open the tube, allowing Ruby to place the 40mm round in and slide the tube down the rail into the cocked position. He would have done it himself were Ruby not on top of him, impeding his ability to handle the weapon.

"FIRE!" Ruby yelled while covering her ears.

Jack squeezed the trigger, just as the Alpha lunged forward. The grenade rocketed out of the barrel, traveling at 76 meters per second. While the distance was much too close for the round to arm and explode, it was close enough and had enough force behind it to blast through the Alpha's skull, and exit the other side. The eviscerated creature fell backward. Smoke began to emanate from the Alpha, indicating its expiry.

"Holy hell." Jack muttered, his heart beating out of its chest. "You okay, Ruby?"

"Yeah! You?!"

"I'm good! Get back on the line, I'll get Owens!"

"You got it!" Ruby got up quickly to retrieve Crescent Rose from the deceased Grimm.

Jack got to his feet and went for Owens' C9. He grabbed the Machine Gun by it's carrying handle before darting for the shallow water where Owens' lay on his back. As he passed the Alpha, he kicked it.

"Get some, asshole."

He then rushed to the water, soaking his boots.

"You okay, Corporal?" Jack placed the C9 down and shook Corporal Owens on the shoulder.

"... _ooooooooooowwwwwww_ …"

"I'll take that as a no." Jack pulled Owens' arm over his own shoulder to hoist him up to his feet. Owens groaned in pain the entire time.

"Where's my nine?"

"Right here, it's a little sandy, but it'll work. I think."

Owens painfully retrieved his C9 and wiped some sand from the feed tray.

"Good kill." Corporal Owens admitted, looking at the evaporating corpse of the Alpha.

"Thanks." Jack said, surprised that the usual disinterested Owens complimented him.

"Don't mention it. C'mon, let's get up there."

The two soldiers rushed back to the line. Jerome, Kendall, and Farren were all reloading, leaving RNJR to cut down any Grimm getting too close.  
"There's too many!" Jerome pressed the bolt catch on the side of his assault rifle, letting the bolt move forward and slam another round into the chamber after reloading.

"Just keeping hitting them!"

A few dozen Beowolves and three Ursai emerged from the tree line to reinforce the attacking Grimm. One of the Ursai was a major class, similar in strength to the Alpha Beowolf that they had just killed.

As the fresh wave charged the depleted Warriors, they had expected to be overwhelmed. However, a sudden spray of heavy gunfire tore the Grimm to shreds. The sound of the air being beaten into submission by rotor blades filled their ears. Sand and water were blown away by the sheer speed of the CH-146 Griffon's blades. Evac had arrived.

The side mounted C6 GPMG roared, sending 7.62 caliber rounds towards the mob coming out of the tree line.

"COME ON! MOVE YOUR ASSES!" The co-pilot who manned the C6 lowered her faceguard and screamed at the Infantry soldiers.

"You heard her! Move it!" Kendall continued to fire while taking steps backward towards the Griffon.

"Go!" Jack yelled to RNJR while tugging on Ruby's shoulder. "We'll cover!"

The colourful team didn't like leaving a battle for others to fight, but, they listened and made a dash for the helicopter, keeping their heads low to avoid the blades and stream of heavy fire coming from the C6.

"Covering!" Jack yelled.

"Moving!" Kendall yelled and tapped Owens on the shoulder. The two men turned and sprinted at top speed for the Griffon.

"It's just us kid!" Farren yelled while backing up. "You ready?!"

"Let's get the hell outta here!" Jack said eagerly.

"Agreed! Move!" The two soldiers fired off the remainder of their magazines before turning and breaking into an all out sprint. While the Griffon was less than fifty meters away, the adrenaline and intensity of the battle made the chopper look far out of reach.

"RUN DAMN IT!" The C6 gunner held down the trigger, expending the belt into the mob.

Ruby leaned out of the helicopter, extending her hand for the two soldiers. First was Jack, followed by Farren.

"We're clear, go!"

The Griffon immediately veered and started to gain altitude.

"God damn…" Farren wiped the sweat from his brow. "Thanks for the sa-AH!" Farren was jerked back abruptly. A creep had managed to leap high enough and latch onto the back of Farren's tactical vest.

"Boss!" Jack dove forward and gripped Farren's tactical vest and held onto him, though he was reaching the edge of the helicopter. The chopper shook, the shifting weight destabilizing it.

"Get him back on the damn chopper!" The Pilot screamed back into the cabin.

"They're gonna fall!" Ruby and the others joined in a chain, each person acting as an anchor for the next.

"Get off my chopper!" The C6 gunner fed a powerful kick to the bipedal Grimm, sending it flying off of Farren and hurtling to the ground, causing it to fall to its death on the beach below.

Once the Creep was clear of the helicopter, Jack yanked the Master Corporal back onto the Griffon. Both men panted while resting on the floor of the cabin.

"...I hate these goddamn things…" Farren muttered.

"...Me too…" Jack sighed.

"Thanks, ma'am." After catching his breath, Farren stood up and extended his appreciation to the co-pilot who had manned the C6 during the extraction.

The name tape on her flight suit displayed the Air Force's blue eagle and the last name "Langer" printed in blue font. Her shoulder epaulets distinguished her as a Lieutenant.

"No worries, Master Corporal." She smiled.

"Not that I don't appreciate the rescue, Lieutenant." Kendall stepped forward. "But what took so long."

"Skies are filled with hostile air, Sir!" The Pilot yelled. "Had to pull off some fancy flying while Langer opened up with the C6!"

"It's as I thought…" Ren murmured. "Kendall, is it? You'll have to destroy the Nevermores for your aerial units to have a chance."

"Nevermores…Roger that, Ninja-kid. Lieutenant Langer, radio the Brock, let them know what's going with those bird bastards if they don't already know."

"Yes, sir!" Langer left the C6 station for the cockpit where her radio sat.

"Well, mission accomplished!" Jerome pat his fireteam partner on the shoulder.

"We're not done yet." Farren looked out the side of the chopper, looking for the battle that was still being waged. "We've got more bad guys to kill."

An awkward silence filled the chopper as they awaited orders via the radio. Master Corporal Farren finally turned to address team RNJR. He carefully examined the four warriors. Each of them was uniquely armed and coloured.

"Thank you for saving my soldier's life. I don't know you, or really understand anything that's going on...but you've already set yourselves a good example in my books. I'm Master Corporal Farren of the Royal Canadian Regiment, Canadian Army." He extended his hand.

Each member shook his hand.

"Just helping out where we can!" Ruby smiled.

"Oh, right." Jack stepped forward, Farren's introduction acting as a cue. "Guys, this is team RNJR. That's Ruby, Nora, Jaune and Ren. Ruby found me in the woods and saved my skin, numerous times. They took me back to their temporary camp and gave me first aid. And RNJR, this is Master Corporal Farren; my boss, my buddy Jerome Lewis, Corporal Owens and Lieutenant-Commander Kendall. Mr Kendall is the second in command of the boat we came through on."

"A pleasure." Farren nodded. "I'm sure Jack has already harassed you with some questions, but just so I know; where are we, and what are we up against?"

"...Y'know, Ruby...I'm starting to believe him." Jaune said after hearing Farren's introduction and questions.

"I'm also starting to see a trend." Ren agreed.

All of the Canadians donned similar uniforms, flags, and names all in the same places. Regarding uniforms, they all looked like Jack. As Jaune had said, Jack's story was more believable. Everything from their weapons and their vehicles were different from anything they'd ever seen.

"I can tell you what I told Jack! You're on Remnant, more specifically the kingdom of Vale. Those creatures we fought are called Grimm. They're everywhere." Ruby explained.

"I've got it all down, Master Corporal." Jack pat his pocket, reminding Farren of the notepad. "Maybe once we get this info back to the CO, we can go back through and get some reinforcements!" Jack chuckled, expecting to garner some laughs.

No one else laughed. The other soldiers looked to the floor. Lieutenant-Commander Kendall sighed.

"Jack…"

"What? What is it?"

"While you were MIA...The anomaly…" Farren removed his helmet and rubbed the back of his head, unsure of how to word it properly.

"It closed during the battle." Kendall finished. "As of right now, we're stuck here."

Jack's eyes widened.

"...What…?"

"I wanted to wait until we got you back to tell you. We only learned last night once we fell back to the Brock for an AAR."

"We're stuck here?"

"For now...Yeah."

"I'm not gonna be able to get these home…" Jack tapped the pouch that carried all of the dog tags he had collected.

"You don't know that, Jack! Just give it time, you'll figure something out!" Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Right." Jack lifted his head and stared off into the distance at the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. Flocks of Nevermores flew around the ship, being met with stiff resistance from the AA guns. Captain Dietz and the crew were giving them hell, that was for sure.

"Sir!" Langer returned from the cockpit. "Captain Dietz wants you to come back to the Brock immediately!"

Kendall looked to Lieutenant Langer, and then to the battle being waged on the Brock. If the chopper got too close, the Nevermores may turn their attention to the Griffon, which would risk the lives of all aboard.

"We're not going back to the Brock." He muttered while watching the beach.

"Excuse me, sir?" Langer was taken back by the comment.

"Lieutenant Langer, inform your pilot that we're going to the beach. The RCR guys could use some reinforcements." Kendall looked over his shoulder at RNJR. "And I think I've got just the thing. I want you performing strafing runs with the C6 again, that was damn effective."

"...But, Sir….Captain Dietz-"

"That's an order Lieutenant."

The insubordinate behaviour from such a high figure like Kendall came as a surprise to all. Lieutenant Langer looked to Master Corporal Farren, the most senior combat arms soldier of them all, looking for some insight. Farren nodded.

"...Yes, sir." Langer returned to the cockpit.

"Apparently I don't give Navy guys enough credit, Sir." Farren looked at the Lieutenant-Commander in shock.

"We can be tough like grunts when we want to, Farren."

"Evidently."

"I'm going to get in a lot of shit for this." Kendall admitted. "But I think it's the right move."

While the conversation continued and the Helicopter sped towards the beach, Jack Carver looked out at the water. His hand slowly made his way into his tactical vest to retrieve his Polaroid photo. He looked at his family, specifically his brother, wondering if the picture in his hands would serve to be the last memory of his brother. Maybe he would die while he was gone. It was a terrible thing to think, but it lingered in Jack's mind. His parents would lose two children at once.

He stuffed the photo away and clenched his fist. He refused to let fear or doubt take control of him. He was stronger than that.

"Hey, Jack. Everything alright?" Jaune asked, having noticed the soldier stuff the photo aggressively back into his pouch.

"Yeah, I'll live. Thanks."

"If you say so." Jaune shrugged. "...You say that a lot."

"Hey!" Langer came out of the cockpit one more time, walking towards a crate at the rear of the cabin. "You guys should stock up before you guys get back out there!" She lifted the lid, revealing a handful of magazines for the C7's and C8's as well as three boxes of C9 ammo.

"Hallelujah…" Owens muttered while lifting the boxes out of the ammo crate.

"You're a lifesaver, ma'am." Farren expressed his gratitude while stuffing rifle magazines into his ammo pouches.

"Buy me a beer later, and we'll call it even, Master Corporal." Langer grabbed a spare box for the C6 and began to load the door gun.

"You got it, Ma'am."

Once Jack retrieved a decent amount of ammunition for his primary weapon, he moved to the rear of the cabin, beyond the ammo crate, where RNJR had been sitting and observing the Canadians. They had been making mental notes for certain.

"Hey, Carver." Farren held him up for a moment. "What are they doing?"

Jack watched RNJR carefully with a grin. "Looking for Dust."

"...Why is that funny? I don't get it."

"I'll explain everything after, Boss. It's all in the notes."

"Ack. Just don't go missing again."

"No promises, I think the wildlife likes me."

Both men chuckled. Farren pat him on the shoulder and let him proceed to speak with RNJR.

Jack took a knee. "Hey guys, It's gonna get pretty heavy down there. After what you did for me, I can't ask you to put yourselves in danger again. I can ask the Lieutenant to drop you off somewhere, or maybe even the Brock. But you don't have to go into the thick of it with us."

"Meh, I figured we'd stick around." Ruby shrugged with a grin. "We've made it this far."

"Besides, more evidence for your case, Jack." Jaune added.

Jack nodded. "If you're sure then okay. Well, word of advice, stay away from the tanks and the LAV's. You don't want to be anywhere near the front of those things when they fire. The shockwave alone is enough to mess you up."

"Noted." Ren chimed in while he inspected his weapons.

"Listen up!" Farren shouted after cocking his weapon. "When we hit the deck, we're gonna find and link up with our Platoon in Bravo Company. Stay together, don't get separated like dear Private Carver did. We fight as hard as we just did, we'll all make it out alive and beers will be on me. Hooah?"

"Hooah!" Each soldier chanted.

"Loud noises!" Nora yelled shortly after to coincide with the shout.

The Griffon approached the beach. The battle became so loud that ear protection had to be worn to avoid hearing damage. The occasional tank shell would blast off and decimate the charred forest. Yelling of commands and screaming were other such sounds mixed in with the conflict. In the immediate landing zone, a casualty collection point had been created using a single LAV as a means of transport, just like the night before. Wounded troops were carried or dragged to the CCP before the able soldiers sprinted back to the frontline. The Engineers that Jack had spotted earlier began to fortify the position with concertina wire, fences, and sandbags to construct a FOB.

"Here we go! Give em' hell!" The Pilot yelled.

"I'll cover you from above!" Langer cocked the C6 and took aim, waiting for targets.

 _"Go! Go! Go!"_

* * *

 _A/N: We quite enjoyed this writing this chapter, despite it being way late! So, sorry about that. As we said before, we hope to get back to the schedule for Friday nights but we can't promise there won't be delays. (University and work does that)._

 _After looking at the mess that was the old Glossary, it was decided a change had to me made to make it easier to navigate and locate the important information. If you take a look at the Glossary you'll see that it's been completely redone. It is now organized in categories ranging from Regiments, Gear, Weaponry and so on. Not only has it been redone, we've added a few new terms to the Glossary._

* * *

 **GLOSSARY OF TERMS**

 _ **REGIMENTS:**_

 **RCR-** The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
 **PPCLI-** Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
 **R22R-** The Royal 22e Régiment, or The Royal 22nd Regiment (Commonly known as: The Van Doos); the third and final Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army. (We haven't mentioned this Regiment as of this chapter, but we thought it was important to put down).

 ** _STRUCTURE:_**

 **BATTALION-** An organization of rifle companies and a support company. (Usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel)  
 **COMPANY-** An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon. (Usually commanded by a Captain)  
 **PLATOON-** An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment. (Usually commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or full Lieutenant)  
 **SECTION-** A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad") (Usually commanded by a Sergeant or a senior Master Corporal)  
 **FIRE TEAM-** A team of 2 soldiers (Commanded by the most senior member of the fireteam)

 _ **COMMAND:  
**_  
 **IC-** Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)  
 **2IC-** Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)  
 **CM-** Commissioned Member. A Canadian Forces member who holds a commission from the Queen or reigning Monarch of England. Typically known as "Officers" (2nd Lieutenant and above)  
 **NCM-** Non Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)

 ** _GEAR:_**

 **CADPAT-** Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc).  
 **COMBAT SHIRT-** A combat shirt is different from the traditional military top. It is a top designed to be worn beneath heavy sweat inducing body armour. The torso is made of a soft, moisture wicking material similar to that of Under Armour to provide comfort. The arms are made of traditional uniform material and still have the CADPAT camouflage printed on them. (For a visual, search "Cadpat Combat Shirt" on google images).  
 **TAC VEST-** Short for Tactical Vest. Tactical Vests are load bearing equipment that hold useful supplies for soldiers. Specifically ammunition, grenades and medical supplies.  
 **IFAK-** Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest.  
 **FRAG VEST-** The Canadian Forces' Frag Vest is designed to protect against fragmentation, however has since seen an upgrade featuring slots for ballistic plates to protect the wearer's vital organs.  
 **LEVEL 3+ PLATES-** Ballistic plates designed by AR500 Armor. Significant protection from firearms.

 _ **INFANTRY WEAPONS:** _

**C7A2-** Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. Similar platform to the US Armed Forces' M4 and M16 series. 5.56x45mm round.  
 **C8-** Carbine variant of the C7A2. (Shorter barrel length than the full sized C7A2).  
 **C9A2 LMG-** Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249  
 **C6 GPMG-** The C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon, however, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III  
 **BROWNING HI-POWER-** Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however on deployments they are issued to common troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power, not 'High' Power oddly enough). Chambered in 9mm.  
 **M203-** Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade.  
 **C-13-** Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.  
 **FOURTY MIKE MIKE-** Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.  
 **THE 9-** Slang for the C9A2 LMG  
 **CARL GUSTAV-** The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.  
 **M32 MGL-** A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps).

 _ **NON-INFANTRY WEAPONS:**_

 **JDAM-** The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground.  
 **MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY-** Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations.  
 **25MM CANNON-** The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"  
 **ARTY-** Short for Artillery.  
 **AA-** Anti-Air

 ** _VEHICLES:_**

 **CF-18-** Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.  
 **MILCOT-** Military Commercial Off the Shelf (Military acquired vehicles)  
 **CH-146 GRIFFON-** The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-use utility helicopter of the Huey family, designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant for the Canadian Armed Forces  
 **CH-148 Cyclone-** The CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations and is intended to replace the venerable CH-124 Sea King, which has been in operation since 1963. Primarily operated by the RCAF  
 **LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT-** The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military.  
 **SEA KING-** The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian Naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces since 1963.  
 **SEA AVENGER-** Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.  
 **LAV-** Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry  
 **RHIB-** Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow  
 **HMCS ALGONQUIN-** Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification.  
 **HMCS BONAVENTURE-** Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy.  
After a service of 14 years she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.  
 **HMCS ENDEAVOUR-** Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK-** Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed wing aircraft.  
 **HMCS VICTORIA-** One of four long-range hunter-killer (Sub-Surface Killer) submarines of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia.  
 **USS PENNSYLVANIA-** SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad.

 _ **POLITICAL:  
**_  
 **PM-** Prime Minister of Canada  
 **MND-** Minister of National Defence  
 **CDS-** Chief of the Defence Staff  
 **NATO-** North Atlantic Treaty Organization  
 **J.A.G-** Judge Advocate General. Entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.

 ** _NAVAL TERMINOLOGY:_**

 **BOW-** Front of a boat  
 **CIC-** Combat Information Center  
 **CVN-** Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.  
 **CIWS-** (Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome like housing.  
 **C.O.-** Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain. Typically the "Captain" has the rank of Commander despite being the "Captain" (Senior Officer) of the vessel. (Confusing, right?)  
 **EMP-** Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range  
 **X.O.-** Second in Command of the Vessel. Typically the X.O. holds the rank of Lieutenant-Commander  
 **FANTAIL-** Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel  
 **FLANK SPEED-** Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.  
 **HELM/HELMSMAN-** Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. Helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgement calls on behalf of officers.  
 **HMCS-** Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.  
 **KNOT-** Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.  
 **NAV/ NAVIGATION OFFICER-** Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control and listening stations.  
 **OOW-** Officer of the Watch. Also acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.  
 **PORT-** Left-hand side of the ship  
 **REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES-** Safety protocols to protect the engines from long term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.  
 **TAO-** (Tee- aee-oh) Tactical Operations Officer who is in charge of coordinating fire control on a naval vessel.  
 **QUIET ORDERS-** Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.  
 **STARBOARD-** Right-hand side of the ship  
 **STERN-** Back of a ship

 ** _BASES:_ **

**CFB Petawawa-** Headquarters for 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment.  
 **CFB Esquimalt-** Headquarters for the Canadian Pacific Fleet. Located on Victoria Island, British Columbia.  
 **CFB Halifax-** Headquarters for the Canadian Atlantic Fleet. Located in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  
 **UNS BASE GUAM-** United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance

 ** _MISC:_**

 **DANGER CLOSE-** A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position. Within 500m of the unit in question.  
 **BMQ-** Basic Military Qualification that ALL Canadian Forces members (Regardless of trade they chose) must go through prior to trade training (An Infantry soldier must do BMQ before going on his/her Infantry course)  
OPERATION OVERLORD- The Allied assault on Normandy on June 6th 1944 during the Second World War. Regarded as the largest amphibious assault in human history.  
 **AAR-** After Action Report  
 **CCP-** Casualty Collection Point  
 **FOB-** Forward Operating Base  
 **CONCERTINA WIRE-** Coils of barbed wire  
 **ACK-** Acknowledged  
 **ROG-** Roger


	6. Keep Moving Forward

A/N: Hi everyone. We owe you an explanation as to why this chapter is so late. Originally we had intended this chapter to be posted on December 25th as a present. Obviously, that didn't happen so we're sorry for that. Exams and work took over our lives so we were constantly delayed but we managed to get it done for today. On the plus side, this is our longest chapter yet! We hope you all had a nice holiday and a happy new year.

We've got an important thing to discuss before we get to the rest of the Authors Note though. At the time of writing this note, it was two years ago yesterday, that the creator of RWBY, a brilliant man; Monty Oum, passed away at 33. His life was cut way too short. Putting it simply, without him; none of this would be possible. All the enjoyment we get from watching RWBY to writing RWBY stories is credited to Monty Oum. I've watched Rooster Teeth from a young age and grew up with Red vs Blue, so you can imagine the shock when season 9-10 came along with amazing fights and animation. And when we saw that first Red Trailer for RWBY, I can't describe the excitement. So much of what this man did brought happiness to not just us, but millions globally and we cannot thank him enough for his work. We miss him greatly but will continue to honour him through enjoying his magnificent creation. In his words, we'll keep moving forward.

* * *

Moving on to the rest of the A/N. In regards to prior reviews, a constant point being brought up by a guest reviewer is the fear that the Canadian troops will be overpowered and unkillable. As Starwarsmast3r and I have said before; this is a completely valid point to have. We want to avoid this as there is nothing worse than there being no threat to the characters. However, you have to remember that the troops haven't even begun to explore the world of Remnant in the story. They are at full strength upon going through the anomaly. In terms of manpower, ammunition, and morale; they are extremely formidable. However, the more injuries sustained and as the number of KIA increases, they won't have the capacity that they did upon going through. From the first engagement alone, 24 men were injured out of roughly 50. Not to mention the entire crew of the Endeavour plus the Boarding Party Operators were slaughtered with the exception of Doctor Grove, who are much more elite than Jack and his fellow Infantrymen. We've thought this out carefully with this fear in mind. There will certainly be a decline in capabilities that we intend to show the further the Troops explore and battle.  
 **TL;DR - Canadians are gonna get nerfed as time goes on due to resource shortage and manpower shortage.**

Moving onto one review in particular from user: Deuce-M's, who suggested that new entries in the glossary should be marked for ease of navigation. This is a great idea and we will be incorporating this from now on in addition to the categorization change that we made last chapter! To find new entries, we've put *NEW ENTRIES* next to a subtopic of the glossary (Gear for example), then simply scroll down in that sub-topic and look for the new entry which will also have *NEW* next to it. We hope this makes finding new things easier. If not, please feel free to let us know and we'll try something *NEW*

I think I speak for both my co-writer and I when we say we never expected to get this much positive reception. We can't thank you enough for the reviews, follows and favs. We hope to repay you with a good story that we have a blast writing! As always we appreciate and encourage feedback. Stay awesome you lot and Keep Moving Forward for Monty!

* * *

 **"If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams are something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."**

\- **MONTY OUM**

* * *

 _ **RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land**_

Chapter 6: Keep Moving Forward

* * *

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT**

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **EARTH TIME- 1123**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

Jack looked down at his hands. His Mechanix M-Pact gloves, once a coyote brown, were now a dark, blood red. The blood wasn't his. Droplets fell from his palms and stained the asphalt grey flight deck. The calming hum of the ship that was always audible was drowned out by the moans and cries of wounded troops. They were successful in driving back the main enemy force, and the engineers had begun to work on the foundations for the FOB. However, it hardly felt like a victory due to the cost. Dozens killed, more wounded.

The soldier looked out into the distance towards the battle-scarred beach. Bloodstained sand, craters, bodies, clean up crews, vehicles, and patrolling soldiers were some of the things he spotted in the hellish scene. When Jack turned his back to the beach, the view on the ship wasn't much better. The flight deck had been transformed into an overflow ward after the battle as the dedicated medical bay had been completely overrun by the wounded. Combat medics and doctors raced up and down aisles of cots, all with a task to perform. Some carried medical supplies, others carrying discarded equipment and weapons, clearing the makeshift medical bay of unnecessary clutter.

Jack was ordered to stay close by, being told that he needed to be checked by a medic. However, by the rules of triage, he was deemed a low priority due to only having cuts and bruises. He was left alone; only his thoughts present to occupy him while he waited. And one thought refused to leave his mind; that combat was as hellish as his father told him it would be.

Private Carver reached into his pocket, taking out his notepad. His bloody and shaky hand found a pen. He opened the notebook, leaving a bloody thumbprint on the leather cover.

 _Jack Carver: Journal Entry Two_

 _We won. For now. It's looking worse here than the Endeavour, but we still won. The Engineers are building us a foothold on the beach, so we'll be able to make some room on the Brock. Things aren't looking good, but we're alive. Well, some of us...I'm all alone. Standing here, just waiting to get looked at by the docs. We lost-_

A loud cry made Jack jump in surprise, sending his pen trailing up the page and disturbing his focus. Shouting followed the cry. Jack looked around, seeing a lone combat medic leaning over a spasming soldier who shook the cot violently in pain.

"Someone give me a goddamn hand!" The medic screamed.

No help came as every medic was preoccupied. Jack stuffed his notepad into his pocket and sprinted over to the cot to assist. The soldier, another Private, had his abdomen torn by claw marks, likely from a Beowolf. He was losing blood and could not stop thrashing violently from the pain.

"Tell me what to do!" Jack shouted over the screams.

"Put pressure on the wound and talk to him, just try to calm him down!"

Jack hastily grabbed a towel from the foot of the cot and pressed it against the soldier's chest with one hand, while taking his hand in the other.

"Hey! Hey, listen to me, man! You're gonna be okay! You're just a little roughed up is all!"

The young man was hardly responsive, too overcome with the pain caused by the lacerations. The medic was scrambling to put together anesthesia and a shot of morphine to help with the pain. Jack's eyes scoured the soldier's uniform, looking for a name tape beneath his equipment, hoping to address him by name to gain his attention. Jack finally found it, reading Allen in his head.

"Allen? Allen, look at me! Look at me, Allen!"

Allen shifted, inadvertently decreasing the pressure of the towel from his abdomen and splashing blood over Jack's vest and face. Jack ignored the splash and applied the cloth harder to avoid it coming loose again. The shaking soldier, Private Allen tried locking eyes with Private Carver.

"You're gonna be okay! Trust me!"

"T-...Te…"

"Talk to me, buddy!" Jack's grip tightened around his hand, letting the wounded soldier know he was there.

"...T-Tell my f...tell my family...I-"

"No, you can tell them yourself when we get outta here, okay?! You can tell them!"

For the next few moments, Allen was incoherent, mumbling words that Jack could not understand. The violent shaking was dying down, which at first, Jack thought was good. Then, he stopped moving entirely.

"...Allen?" Jack squeezed his hand.

His lifeless eyes stared off into the distance, toward the water. Allen had succumbed to his wounds. Jack's heart skipped a beat.

"DOC!" Jack screamed.

The medic turned his head, still preparing the needle.

"Shit!" The medic dropped everything and rushed to Allen's side, checking his pulse by placing his fingers on his neck. Nothing. "VSA!" The medic yelled.

When an individual went VSA, all attempts to resuscitate the person were made during triage. The acronym yelled out caused multiple medics to finally rush to their aid. The medic Jack was working with lifted Allen's shirt and began chest compressions.

"We'll take it from here, kid! Give us some room!" One of the medics, a Sergeant, pushed Jack aside as to not have him in the way.

Jack ran his left hand through his hair, completely forgetting about the blood that soaked his glove, which would now soak his brown hair. The stunned soldier slowly stepped back, cursing under his breath while observing the ordeal as best as he could. The medic continued the chest compressions until a medic carrying an AED rushed over. The fuel that they scavenged from the Endeavour must have been enough to power the Brock and subsequently, provide electricity.

Carver's hands balled into fists as he watched the medics place the chest paddles against Allen's red torso. He anxiously tapped his boot against the deck.

"CLEAR!" The medic shouted.

The first shock went through. The jolt shook Allen in the cot. Nothing.

"C'mon." Jack muttered.

"Hit him again!" The Sergeant yelled.

"CLEAR!"

"C'mon, damn it!" Jack grit his teeth and gripped his hair.

"CLEAR!" For the third and final time, the paddles shocked Allen's lifeless body.

The Medic went to go again, only to have the Sergeant put a hand on his shoulder and shake his head. The medical staff placed the AED paddles back into its carrier, and all began to disperse to their prior stations. The medic that Jack had assisted stood there and sighed. He closed Allen's eyes and placed a sheet over him before he cursed loudly in a fit of anger, throwing a bloody towel to the floor.

The Medic and Jack locked eyes across the deck. Jack's horrified look was much different from the look disappointment and anguish on the Medic's. They both stared for a few more moments before the man walked off, searching for another patient to treat.

Jack's eyes trailed to the motionless white sheet atop the cot. He fought the urge to scream in anger, and resisted the temptation to cry.

He watched the sheet, in a trance, until the boom of a 25mm cannon erupted. Jack looked at the beach, seeing a small pack of Beowolves emerging from the obliterated forest. They were quickly decimated by the LAV's providing security for the Engineers. The Grimm just kept coming no matter what, it was as if they were attracted to them. Even though it was a small pack and no force mirroring the one the Canadians recently battled had arrived, it was still a haunting prospect. Or in this case, an unfortunate reality.

"Carver?" A voice called his name.

Jack turned, seeing Lieutenant Bryson standing a few feet from him, still dressed in his combat gear. For Bryson, seeing the young soldier bloodied and battered was unfortunate, to say the least.

"Sir." Jack came to attention.

"Relax, relax." Bryson raised his hands, signaling to Jack that he could stand at ease.

"Uhh, yes sir."

"Just letting you know, Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid will be ready for you soon. They're just wrapping up the interviews with the locals you picked up. They wanna talk about the battlefield casualty numbers...Including...Well..." Bryson shrugged. "...You know…" Bryson tip-toed around the name as it was too soon to acknowledge the loss of their deceased comrade.

Jack's eyes meet the surface of the flight deck again, a sting of sadness striking him.

"You know it wasn't your fault...Right?" Bryson asked.

Jack sighed with a shrug. "Yeah...Well...Maybe. I dunno, Sir. I feel like there was more that I could've done."

"Regardless, they wanna talk to you and clarify some things, lord knows his death isn't gonna do well for morale…"

"...You can say that again, Sir…" Jack sighed once more. He started to walk away, heading for the hatch of the ship.

Bryson stopped him. "You get checked by the medics yet?"

"No, sir. Too many in critical condition."

"Well, I'll tell the CO that you're getting checked, they can wait." Bryson nodded.

"It's no worry, sir. I can wait, It's just a few cuts and bruises anyway."

"If you say so. But the moment you get a chance, I want you to get looked at, that's an order."

"Yes, sir."

Bryson nodded to the young soldier and turned to walk away, believing their conversation to be over. When the Lieutenant looked over his shoulder, he saw Carver standing still, looking out towards the beach.

"...You alright, Carver?"

Jack turned, seeing Lieutenant Bryson coming back.

"...Not great, Sir..." Jack looked at the white sheet covering Allen. "...Battle school didn't prepare me for this…" Private Carver gestured to the overflow ward.

"No training ever does, kid." Bryson spoke from experience. "All the video games, movies, books, and training can try to simulate warfare, but nothing prepares you for combat. It's kind of a 'need to be there' sort of thing."

"...Makes sense, sir."

"I'm sure your dad probably said something along those lines, right?"

"Probably, sir."

"Nothing beats experience, Carver. Remember that. Get some more fresh air before coming in, they'll be waiting." Lieutenant Bryson pat Jack's shoulder before leaving once again.

With that statement, Jack began to wonder how his father, or even Master Corporal Farren would have dealt with the situation. They were both significantly older and more experienced than him. Both had combat tours, lost friends, killed enemies. He sighed and shook his head before turning around and heading for the hatch that led into the internal decks of the ship.

The moment Jack's boots hit the inner deck, he breathed in the musty recycled air that ran throughout the ship's ventilation system. It differed greatly from the fresh sea air that he had just been breathing in. However, the atmosphere stayed the same; crewmen were rushing up and down the halls trying to carry out the tasks they had been given. Jack inched his way through the massive amphibious assault ship until he reached the Officers Mess where a series of chairs had been placed outside the briefing room. The primarily wooden furniture that had obviously come from the interior of the Officer's mess was a striking difference from the generally grey innards of the ship. Ruby, Nora and Ren all sat outside, staring at the steel floor. Two armed ship security staff waited nearby, obviously keeping an eye on their guests. Jack could safely assume that Jaune was already in the mess being interviewed by Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid.

"Jack!" Ruby looked up with a smile, seeing the dreary soldier approach.

Her smile quickly faded as he neared. Nora and Ren looked at each other, concern in their eyes after seeing him.

"Jack...Are you okay?" Ruby got up to face him, just now seeing the fresh blood splattered across his gear, gloves, and face.

"Not really…" Jack shook his head.

Ruby reached into some pouches on her belt, seeking any sort of item that she could use to wipe the blood from his face. Finding nothing, she opted to use her cloak. Grabbing the end of her cloak, Ruby stood on her toes to get to Jack's height as even with her boots, she was not nearly as tall as the trooper. She wiped the blood from his face. The blood mixed in with her cape, making it difficult to distinguish the blood stain from the cloaks distinct red hue.

"What happened? You're covered!" She exclaimed while cleaning his cheek.

"It's not looking good up there."

Ruby decided not to press on, figuring Jack simply didn't want to talk about it. "Well, let's get you cleaned up then. Hopefully, Jaune won't be much long-"

The door to the Officer's Mess opened, and Jaune stepped out.

"Nailed it." Ruby shrugged.

"How'd it go?" Nora asked.

"Well, they asked the same questions they asked you guys. Where are we, what can you tell us about the land, so on and so forth."

"They are seeing if our stories are consistent with each other." Ren commented.

"Can't blame them, we did the same thing." Jaune shrugged.

"It's all procedure, don't worry about it." Jack said.

Jaune turned, just noticing Jack. "Oh hey. Whoa...what happened?"

"Nothing good." Jack said, leaving it at that.

"This current attitude among the soldiers is bound to attract more Grimm in the coming days…" Ren stroked his chin.

Jack pondered, wondering what Ren meant by that. His mind traced back to the flight deck, where he had seen a pack of Beowolves emerge from the trees just mere moments after Private Allen's death. Once he was finished with the command staff, he would have to ask more questions to investigate deeper into the behaviour of the Grimm.

"Good luck in there!" Ruby chimed.

"Thanks." Jack tried rubbing some of the blood out of his hair, to little effect.

Jack opened the hatch to the Officer's mess and came to attention, checking his heels together and bringing his arms to his sides. "Permission to en-"

"Come on in, Carver." Lieutenant-Colonel Reid said without looking up from his paper.

Jack gulped and took one last look to RNJR before stepping in and shutting the hatch behind him.

"So, Private Carver-...Jesus…" Captain Dietz looked up, seeing the battle-scarred soldier.

The infantryman still donned his equipment despite being long out of combat. His torn frag vest displayed his bullet stricken ballistic plate. Dirt stained the knees of his combat pants as well as his face. Blood red stains were present all over his body armour, tactical vest, gloves and even his head and hair. His overall appearance was a stark contrast to that of the cleanly dressed Naval Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid.

"...Have a seat, son." Reid gestured to the empty chair at the end of the table. Identical in design to the seats waiting just outside the door.

"Thank you, sir." Jack responded quietly and made his way to the chair.

Once Jack sat down, Reid leaned forward.

"How are you feeling, Soldier?"

"I've been better sir. Just a couple of cuts and bruises. But I'll get out there whenever you need me to, sir."

"We'll worry about that later. For now, we have some business to get out of the way. It's a series of questions to help paint a picture of what happened while you were MIA, what the locals told you and then what the hell happened on the beachhead. Everything will be recorded to inform the DND once we get home. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you have any question before we begin?"

"Just one, sir."

"Very well, go ahead."

"How many total casualties, sir?"

Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid looked at each other.

"134 total casualties. 49 Dead. The rest are wounded, critical and otherwise."

Jack sank into his chair. He brought his hand up to his face, burying his forehead in his palm. Two companies of infantry and just over a third of them were injured, and 49 of them were dead. He couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible. He was the one who went missing and needed rescuing. Many of those men and women died trying to bring him back.

"Goddamn it…" Jack grit his teeth, fighting the urge to curse loudly and beat his fist against the wall.

"It's not your fault, son." Reid assured, guessing just what Jack was worried about.. "MIA or not, we were bound to get back out there. We need that FOB, and we need to recce the mainland. One way or another, it would've resulted in the same numbers."

Jack stayed silent with the exception of his boot tapping rapidly against the floor.

Captain Dietz looked at the soldier with pity. "...Are you ready to begin?" He asked, finger hovering over the recorder they had previously used to record the first contact report.

Jack nodded after a sigh. "Yes, sir."

Dietz pressed the button. "Commander William Dietz, commanding officer of HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. Earth time is 1140. Continuation of interviews. Subject; Private Carver of the Royal Canadian Regiment deemed MIA by his section commander; Master Corporal Farren." Dietz blandly recited the obligatory information piece that he had likely been repeating all morning. "...Interviewee, please state your name and particulars for the record."

"Private Jack Carver, service number Kilo 24-379-438. Infantryman, 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, Bravo Company, 1st Platoon, 2 section."

"Private Carver, describe the events leading up to you being declared missing in action."

"Yes, sir." Jack cleared his throat. "Under the command of Master Corporal Farren, my section commander, we came to the aid of our Platoon and the Recce platoon that had been tasked to the beach. Upon arriving, we were immediately engaged by the Grimm."

"The Grimm? Clarify."

"The Grimm, sir, are the indigenous lifeforms that Doctor Grove encountered before we arrived. They are hostile, savage animals."

Lieutenant-Colonel Reid jot the point down on his paper. Noting how Jack used the same name that Ruby and her group did for classifying the beasts.

"Carry on."

"We fought the Grimm until our platoon commander, Lieutenant Bryson, ordered a tactical withdrawal back to the Brock. I was covering my fireteam partner, Private Lewis, as he dragged a wounded soldier away from the battle. It was then I was struck by a large Grimm, sending me flying into the woods."

"What drove you to push deeper into the woods?"

"The beach had been completely overrun by the enemy. I was surrounded on all sides with the exception of a gap in the enemy leading deeper into the woods. It was my only chance."

"What happened after that?"

"I was ambushed. With my weapon knocked out of hand I was defenseless. Sir, I'd probably be dead without the intervention of a girl named Ruby Rose."

"Ah yes, little red riding hood." Reid chuckled while jotting down notes. "Tell us about the girl."

"I'm not sure what to say what she herself hasn't already told you, sir." Jack shrugged.

"Nevertheless." Captain Dietz added.

"Well. From what she has told me, she and her friends are Huntsmen and Huntresses. They're a faction of warriors that engage the Grimm to keep the peace on this world. They have unique weaponry, incredible, almost super-human skills. Ruby in particular...Her ability is unlike anything I've ever seen, sir. Her speed, her giant gun-scythe. The enemy never stood a chance."

"And what about the other three? You seem to have befriended them...Do you trust them?"

"Yes, sir. They saved my life, full stop."

"Did they give you any useful information regarding the area of operation?"

Jack shot up in his chair, just remembering that he had taken many notes with the assistance of Ren and Ruby.

"Yes, sir! In fact, I made a series of notes for the sole purpose of giving them to you, sir." Jack reached into his pocket while rising from his seat.

He moved across the room and placed the bloody notebook on the table in front of the Captain and the Lieutenant-Colonel.

"I dunno if it has anything that Ruby and the others didn't tell you, Sir. But I hope it helps."

Reid and Dietz looked down at the notebook, and then to the grimy young soldier. He was an intelligent little trooper, they'd give him that much.

"Thank you, Private Carver." Captain Dietz said. "We'll be sure to add your notes to the report."

Jack returned to his seat.

"We'll come back to 'Ruby' and her team later, for now, we'll focus on what happened once you were recovered by my X.O. and Master Corporal Farren."

"Yes, sir." Jack replayed the event in his head. "Once Master Corporal Farren found me, I took a round to the chest-"

"You were shot?!" Lieutenant-Colonel Reid interrupted.

"...Uhh...Yes, sir." Jack said sheepishly.

"I wasn't aware the 'Grimm' used firearms."

"They uhh...They don't, sir."

"Then why is there a strike mark on your plate?" Reid pointed to the steel visible through the tear in his fragmentation vest.

"...Uhh...Weapons malfunction, sir."

Reid and Dietz looked at each other, not believing him for a second.

"Right...Well, continue."

"We extracted on a Griffon, and at the order of Lieutenant-Commander Kendall, we landed at the beachhead to assist in the battle."

"Lieutenant-Commander Kendall was ordered to return to the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock. Why was the Griffon rerouted?"

"Sir, Lieutenant-Commander Kendall felt that attempting to land on the Brock while it was being attacked by Nevermores presented a risk to the lives of everyone onboard. He also firmly believed that the ground forces needed reinforcements, thinking RNJR was the key to a decisive victory."

"I'll be having a long chat with Mike, Reid." Dietz sighed, rubbing his brow.

Reid nodded and then looked back to Jack, who had been twiddling his thumbs.

"Were they?" Reid asked.

Jack's eyebrow raised, unsure of what he meant.

"...Sir?"

"Were they the key?"

Jack briefly thought about the mass amounts of casualties they had sustained. The sight when he landed on the beach was chaotic, to say the least. However, contemplating on the intervention of RNJR, Jack easily decided on his answer.

"Yes, sir."

 **SEVERAL HOURS PRIOR  
** **RCR BEACHHEAD**

"Go! Go! Go!"

With the order, Jack leaped from the Griffon. He and the team of nine sped past the CCP, making haste towards the frontline to find Lieutenant Bryson and the rest of their platoon. They had passed the Leopard MBT's that stayed towards the rear, pounding the enemy from afar and guarding the flanks. Their crew commanders stood out the hatch, watching the battle with binoculars to locate targets.

"Fire!" The moment the tank commander yelled, the ground shook from the shockwave of the Leopard tank's primary weapon firing, blasting a heavy shell out of the barrel. Seconds later, the explosion lit up in the distance, passing the frontline.

The battle was so earsplitting; Jack could hardly hear the shouts from all the soldiers on the beach. Master Corporal Farren turned and yelled something to the group. His voice was lost in the orchestra of battle. The Master Corporal decided to simply point and wave his hand in the direction they were going.

Jack turned his head, making sure RNJR was still following them. They were, but they were looking all around the battlefield, observing everything they could while advancing quickly with their weapons drawn. He couldn't tell if it was their curiosity regarding Canadian equipment and tactics or a heightened sense of combat awareness.

The team approached a line of soldiers firing relentlessly into the Grimm pouring out of the woods.

"Get up there!" Farren screamed as they neared the dwindling number of troops.

A lone soldier turned his back to the enemy, hearing Farren's voice. Lieutenant Bryson.

"Nice of you to show up, George!"

"Tell us where you need us, Paul!" Farren yelled back.

"Get to Bishop's platoon! Far right! They're being overwhelmed!"

"Roger that! We're moving! Come on, guys, hustle!" Farren screamed, sending the troops into action.

Just forward of the front line, seaborne artillery from the Brock pounded the enemy into submission, or at least it was intended to, but it served little good to stop the Grimm advance. Nevermores flew overhead and began to strike the Infantry with their sharp quills being launched from their wings like a CF-18 Hornet launching its missiles. Jack followed just behind Jerome, rushing through the sand towards Lieutenant Bishop and his platoon. As they passed another defensive position, one the quills impacted the sand just in front of Jack, kicking up sand...and blood. Jack fell onto his back, only to look up in horror at the damage. The dark quill embedded itself into the distinct green of cadpat, which was now turning red.

"JEROME!"

 **PRESENT TIME  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK OFFICERS MESS**

"Reports say that 2nd Platoon of Bravo Company sustained heavy casualties, as well as your own. Is this consistent with what you witnessed?"

Jack's eyes met the tabletop, and then he nodded. "Unfortunately, yes, sir..."

"Bravo Company faced the most resistance of the offensive, 2nd Platoon being the worst off." Reid confirmed.

"Go on, Private Carver."

 **SEVERAL HOURS PRIOR  
** **RCR BEACHHEAD**

"Come on! Get up!" Jaune grabbed Jack by the arm and lifted him to his feet.

Overhead, Langer's Griffon chased the enemy air units around, the C6 roaring and discarding its spent casings like brass rain.

"Jerome!" Jack rushed to the soldier impaled by the quill just moments earlier, fearing his friend to be the victim of the enemy airstrike. Jack prayed that the lifeless corpse pinned to the sand by the abnormally large quill was not his friend. Upon closer inspection, however, Jack found the deceased soldier to have a significant ethnic and age difference to that of his fire team partner. While it was certainly disturbing and sad, Jack sighed of relief.

Just a few meters ahead, Jerome groggily got to his feet and looked behind him. "You okay?!"

Jack tore the dog tags from the dead soldier's neck and stuffed them in his pouch swiftly while closing the gap between them. "I'm fine! I thought that big ass bird got you!"

"Not today!" Jerome's voice had a cocky tinge to it.

Soon, Ruby, Nora, and Ren caught up with them.

"What happened?" Ren shouted over the gunfire.

"Just a close call! Come on, let's go!" Jack gave the hand signal to move forward, following Owens and Farren towards the right flank. Even from the center of the beachhead, the team could see the massive enemy presence over there.

RNJR beat Jack and Jerome there and began tearing the Grimm to shreds. Ruby bounced from target to target in her quick fashion, leaving dismembered corpses in her wake. In the blink of an eye, a fully mobile and charging Beowolf was severed in two, and then another, and another. Nora fired a volley of grenades into the rear ranks to diminish the reinforcements followed by crushing the head of an Ursa charging the unsuspecting C6 gun team. Ren protected the troops from any Grimm breaking ranks and getting too close for comfort.

"Sir!" Farren found Lieutenant Bishop, who had been expending his C8 into the mass.

"Master Corporal!" Bishop acknowledged.

"We're here to back you up!"

"What do you have?"

"A nine gunner, a 203 gunner, a rifleman...and them!" Farren pointed to the Red blur traveling across the battlefield and then to the other three unorthodox warriors.

"Who the hell are they?"

"Long story sir! Just point where you need us!"

"Reinforce 3-Section; they're near annihilation, help em' out!"

"With pleasure, sir!"

As Jaune swung his blade, cutting through the Grimm, he noticed that too many Grimm were coming. He pondered. It wouldn't be long before they were overrun. Jaune searched for options, using his skills as the team strategist. He kept thinking until the boom of the Leopard 2 main battle tank grabbed his attention. Jaune Arc turned his head, focusing on the giant metal death machine. The heavy treads and large steel body gave him an idea.

"I've got a plan, keep them busy!" He shouted before sprinting off.

"Where the hell is he going?!" Farren shouted, directing the question toward the remainder of RNJR.

"No idea!" Ruby shouted amidst the battle.

Jack watched the white armoured warrior run off toward the tank, putting two and two together.

"Just buy him some time!"

Jaune panted as he sprinted across the battlefield towards the closest tank; the one the team had passed upon landing on the beach. He clambered onto the war machine until he reached the top hatch, where the crew commander had been observing the battlefield and yelling out commands to the gunner.

"Hey!" Jaune yelled, getting the commander's attention.

"What the!?" The crew commander jumped in surprise seeing Jaune atop the tank. Instinctively, the commander went for his sidearm upon seeing a non-CADPAT wearing person jumping on his tank.

"Whoa whoa whoa! I'm on your side!"

The tank commander hesitantly lowered his sidearm. "Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing?"

"No time! You've got to get this bucket moving! Your men are all gonna die if you don't get over there!" Jaune pointed toward the right flank, where fighting by a berm in the terrain was the fiercest. The Grimm swarmed over the berm, dropping right on top of the unit attempting to suppress them.

The Sergeant lifted his binoculars, observing the troopers on the right portion of the beachhead being swarmed by numerous contacts. He placed the binoculars down, cocked the 50 caliber machine gun mounted by the hatch and slammed his fist atop the tank.

"Prepare to move!" He shouted down into the hatch. He then looked to Jaune. "Hold on, kid."

The engine in the Leopard roared. The treads began to move, leaving their mark in the sand. It took Jaune a moment to realize that the previously stationary war machine was moving, heading straight for the right flank.

"Driver, full throttle ahead, get us to that flank!"

"Roger that!" Jaune could hear a muffled yell originating from the bowels of the Tank.

"Gunner! Load H.E. and check fire for friendlies! Fire on my mark!"

"Copy!" The tank gunner screamed in acknowledgment.

"Better cover your ears, kid." The commander positioned himself behind the 50 caliber mounted atop the tank. "It's about to get loud."

"...Right." Jaune cupped his ears with his hands and grit his teeth, bracing for the inevitable barrage.

"FIRE!"

Before the booming sound of the cannon assaulted Jaune's ear drums, the blinding flash illuminated the 360-degree spectrum, launching the 120mm shell hurtling towards the enemy. Mere moments later, an explosion rocked the beach, sending parts of Grimm and sand flying into the air. Jaune instantly regret clenching his jaw as the shockwave shook his teeth and skull to the core.

As the shell impacted, Jack looked over his shoulder, now seeing the Main Battle Tank approaching, carving a path in the sand and hellbent on the enemy's destruction. Another shell fired. Impacting the same spot in the horde of Grimm.

"That's more like it!" Lieutenant Bishop shouted. "Come on, boys! Finish these bastards off!" The platoon commander pointed toward the thinning enemy ranks, ordering a counter-offensive.

The Leopard 2 did not stop behind friendly lines, however. The vehicle swerved in front of the defensive line and began to drive through the horde of Grimm. Beowolves and Creeps were crushed underneath the treads while Ursai were warded off by the 50 caliber machine gun.

Troops cheered out of relief and excitement upon seeing the vehicle shred the enemy line. When smaller Grimm attempted to board the tank to kill the gunner, they were swiftly dispatched by Jaune providing security with his blade.

"At this point, I don't give a shit who you are!" The Sergeant screamed while reloading the 50. "Keep doing what you're doing, you and I are gonna be pals!"

Jaune decapitated a Beowolf that attempted to lunge at the tank commander. Ren protected the troopers from any attacks while Ruby and Nora tore through the lines along with the tank. For being supposedly inexperienced huntsmen, they certainly knew how to stack bodies.

 **PRESENT TIME  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK OFFICERS MESS**

"So...You're telling me, Jaune Arc, the blond one," Reid started while referring to his notes. "Convinced a Tank Commander to drive his Leopard 2 through the enemy?"

Both Reid and Dietz appeared to be a mixture of impressed and shocked.

"Yes, Sir." Jack nodded. "It was...quite effective."

Dietz read through the notes he had taken from previous interviews, finding many similarities.

"Well, according to you, and team RNJR, this is when the tide of battle shifted in your favour, correct?"

"Yes, Sir. After the Leopard 2 had made its push, we were able to break the stalemate and move up."

"And from there on, I assume this is the final push reported by team RNJR?"

"That's correct, sir." Jack nodded.

"But this is also where our forces suffered a crippling blow, yes?"

Jack swallowed and shifted in his seat. "Yes."

Dietz closed his notebook and chose to stare Jack down. "So. How did it happen?"

 **SEVERAL HOURS PRIOR**  
 **RCR BEACHHEAD**

Jack slammed a magazine into the well of his C7 while following Farren into the thick of the enemy. For the short time the Canadian contingent had been on Remnant, they had spent their time running. From the Endeavour halls to the open expanse of the beach, the Grimm had outmatched them at every turn due to survivability and numbers. Jack was already sick of it. Fueled by anger and determination, he followed his men into the sea of Grimm, letting RNJR and the tank cut down the horde, allowing him to swoop in and finish them off.

It was his courage, or stupidity, however, that left his flank unguarded. A creep rushed the helmetless trooper, without him even noticing.

It was Corporal Owens who spotted it. He charged, knocking the black creature to the sand. Owens smashed the beast several times with the oversized shoulder stock of his C9 LMG. Upon seeing the Creep still struggling to its feet, he pressed the barrel against its torso and fired half of the belt into it. Very quickly, the Creep squirmed and fell still, symbolizing its expiry.

Jack looked to his right, just now noticing the torn apart Creep. "Hey, thanks!"

"Watch yourself. Don't stray too far ahead." Owens shouldered his C9 and followed Jack into the tree line.

"They're on their last legs! Finish them!" Lieutenant Bishop rushed to the front of the platoon, giving the signal to advance.

The Grimm horde had faltered due to the quick thinking of Jaune utilizing the Leopard 2, the unwavering security of Ren and Nora and, of course, the sheer killing speed of Ruby using Crescent Rose. The attitude of the men changed significantly. It took a 180 from believing they would be overrun, to a determination to wipe the enemy out. The troops cheered as they chased the retreating Grimm as they ran like dogs with their tails between their legs.  
Soon, the echo of gunfire grew distant, as a select few sections pursued the retreating Grimm into the decimated tree line. Almost all of the armour on the beach, including LAV's, G-Wagon's and Leopard 2's had moved up, forming a blockage along the length of the tree line to provide cover for the consolidating infantry soldiers.

They'd won. For now.

With the exception of section commanders barking orders to their troops and the cries of the wounded, the battlefield was mostly silent. The gunfire that harassed their ears for so long had gone. However, their ears still rang in pain.

RNJR and the remainder of 2-Section gathered by the tree line where Jaune's acquired Leopard 2 had been parked. Jaune bumped fists with the tank crew commander before leaping off the side of the tank to join the group.

"Pfft, too easy." Jerome bragged with a sly grin, though he was panting, winded from the battle. He immediately went for a sip of his canteen once he finished boasting, only further confirming his fatigue.

"Bastards didn't stand a chance!" Owens slung his C9 over his shoulder and wiped the sand from his pants while watching the LAV's chase the Grimm into the forest.

"You four." Master Corporal Farren approached the gaggle of troops and native warriors. His voice was authoritative and immediately silenced the group. They all looked expectantly at the Master Corporal. "Good work, especially with that tank, kid. Quick thinking." Farren pat Jaune on the shoulder.

"Thanks, glad we could help." Jaune nodded with a grin, pleased that his tactical mind swayed the result of yet another battle with the Grimm.

"What about us?" Jack shrugged, feigned annoyance in his voice. "Jaune gets a tank, and suddenly we're left out?"

"All of you." Farren corrected himself. "Textbook battlefield execution, with an emphasis on execution."

"That's more like it." Carver smirked before turning and joining the conversation, each soldier and warrior praising each other's combat skills and highlights of the victory.

They were all cheering and bragging. All except Jaune. The warrior carefully watched the soldiers, inspecting their uniforms and weapons to see if Jack's story was making sense.

For the first time in a while, Farren's lips curled into a smile. Seeing the troops under his command brag about victory in a similar way to that of himself and his team in Afghanistan when he was their age. It was the first moment of light in the sea of darkness that came once the expedition came through the portal to Remnant.

"Master Corporal Farren!"

George Farren turned, seeing Lieutenant Bishop approaching from the expended frontline.

"Sir." Farren hastily left the group of young warriors to meet Bishop halfway  
"You can give Lieutenant Bryson my thanks, you and your men saved our asses."

"Anytime, Sir." Farren nodded.

"And also...be sure to give them my thanks." Bishop pointed to RNJR. "Whoever they are."

"Indigenous warriors, Sir. My missing soldier stumbled upon them in the woods...or rather, they stumbled upon him. Saved his life, now it looks like they saved all of ours."

"I agree. Haven't seen speed and aggression at such a level since JTF2."

"On that, we agree, Sir."

While Farren continued speaking, Bishop looked passed the Master Corporal, a spark of movement catching his eye in the tree line.

"Something wrong?"

"Something's moving in the tree line."

Farren spun around, hands on his weapon. His gaze followed the tree line; a few branches were shifting, nothing massive.

"What is that-"

Amidst his question, a boar-like Grimm came shooting out of the tree line, literally barreling towards the unsuspecting team RNJR and Canadians.

"Shit! Missed one!" Bishop rushed from his spot, kicking up sand as he darted towards RNJR.

As the boar grew closer, it dawned on Farren. They didn't see it coming.

"JACK, RUBY!" He yelled before sprinting behind the Lieutenant.

Jack raised a brow, hearing his name being yelled. He glanced over Corporal Owen's head, looking for the origin. When he finally spotted both Lieutenant Bishop and Master Corporal Farren sprinting at mach six towards them, he turned around, just now seeing the boar speeding towards him, mere feet away. Jack's eyes widened.

As Ruby and the remainder of the group just noticed, Jack instinctively went to raise his weapon and fire as time slowed. However, he and Ruby were thrown to the side out of harm's way by Lieutenant Bishop himself. Jack and Ruby fell to the sand, still dazed. Seconds later, the Grimm made contact with Lieutenant Bishop, immediately impaling the officer with its large tusks.

"GRRK!" Bishop winced and coughed up a fair amount of blood from the impact.

"Sir!" Jack yelled while climbing to his feet.

"TAKE IT DOWN!" Farren screamed, just now reaching the group.

Jack raised his rifle but thought better not to fire, for the risk of shooting the Lieutenant.

The Boarbatusk shook the Lieutenant wildly, using him as a battering ram to knock Jaune, Owens, and Jerome to the ground.

It was Nora who leaped to her feet and smashed the head of the Boar with her hammer, snapping the tusks free of the creature's head, dropping the severely bleeding Bishop to the sand.

"OPEN FIRE!" Jack yelled as a cue.

The recovering soldiers held down their triggers, chewing the Boarbatusk apart. Ruby swung her scythe, planting the blade in the sand to the left of the Grimm. She pulled the trigger, bringing the blade back due to recoil and severing the Boar in two. Owens placed the barrel of his C9 against the Boar's corpse and fired several rounds into it.

Bishop writhed in the sand while the group began to crowd around him.

"Medic!" Jerome shouted, alerting the mass of soldiers nearby that had been securing the area, trying to get a medic.

"Sir! Look at me, Sir!" Farren gripped Bishop's hand, demanding the wounded Officer to make eye contact to keep him awake.

"F...F….Farr...en." Blood seeped from the Lieutenant's lips as he tried speaking.

Jaune immediately dropped to his knees, pressing his gloved hands against the open wounds to attempt stopping the bleeding, to little effect. Even if they could get a medic, the amount of blood loss and internal damage the Lieutenant had already suffered was enough to seal his fate, they all knew it.

Jack could only look in horror and feel guilty and helpless at the same time as the Lieutenant was dying in front of him, after just saving his life and Ruby's life.

"Get me a damn medic already!" Farren shouted.

Jack looked down at Bishop's lifeless eyes as the Master Corporal continued yelling and gripping his hand.

"George…" Owens put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sam! Hurry up and get a medic-"

"George!" Owens yelled this time, snapping the Master Corporal out of his trance. "He's gone…"

Both Nora and Ren had depressed expressions plastered on their faces. Judging by their emotions, they'd seen this many times before. Jaune removed his bloody gloves and buried his face into his palms with a loud groan. Ruby looked on in shock, an expression she hadn't really donned since the stadium during the Vytal Festival, or at the top of Beacon tower…  
"FUCK!" Farren threw his helmet down and stormed off, cursing as he did.

"Jesus, man…" Jerome muttered.

Shortly after, a Corporal medic rushed over to investigate the call. "What's wrong?!" The man was covered in dried blood. He had been busy.

"A little late, doc…" Owens shook his head and sighed.

The Corporal looked down at the corpse. "...Shit…"

"...Not your fault, doc…" Jack approached, only to have the Corporal storm off in a similar fashion to Farren. Jack looked at the ground, having a feeling this wouldn't be the last time this would happen.

 **PRESENT TIME  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK OFFICERS MESS**

"...That's it, Sir. After that, we brought the dead back to the ship…"

While Reid watched Carver carefully after jotting down his last note, Captain Dietz sifted through the pages of Jack's notepad, reading everything from the two short journal entries to the detailed descriptions of Remnant provided to him by Ruby and company.

"You seem to know a lot judging by the list, Carver."

"Respectfully sir, I was just copying down what they were saying to me."

"Regardless, that makes you, Private Carver, the most knowledgeable person on this expedition with regards to our situation. Equal or even exceeding the experience of Doctor Grove."

Jack realized that he was right. While Grove experienced first contact with the Grimm, it was himself that had made first contact with locals with non-hostile intent towards the Canadians. He sensed there was more to Dietz's statement than just an observation, however.

"It would seem that way, Sir."

Dietz leaned over to Reid, whispering in a hushed tone, preventing Jack from hearing what the two officers were discussing. After a few awkward minutes of Jack twiddling his thumbs in silence, Lieutenant-Colonel Reid nodded and cleared his throat. The action caused Jack to look up in anticipation.

"Private Carver."

"Sir." Jack straightened his posture upon being addressed directly.

"Captain Dietz and I are in agreement that further reconnaissance operations are necessary in order to learn more about this, World of Remnant. However, we also see the risk in deploying a significant number of troops to the mainland. The longer we're here, the more resources we use, the more ammo we expend, the more people that are injured, our capabilities are drained. Evident by our most recent battle. Soon enough, we won't be able to sustain another battle like that."

"That's true, sir." Jack nodded, ensuring the officers knew he was listening and saw the point behind their words.

"Which is why, your platoon, will be tasked with long-range recon. We see the usefulness of employing the assistance of team RNJR. Should we encounter more locals, they will hopefully act as the middlemen between the inhabitants and us to form a non-hostile bond." Reid finished, gesturing to the Naval Commander to continue.

"This could open doors to possible resupply and even lead to alliances or shelter during our forced tenure here. At least until we figure out a way home. Not to mention we believe having RNJR aid in missions will be good for success and morale."

Jack raised a brow in confusion. While they both made good points, Jack doubted that RNJR would simply drop their mission to aid them in exploring Remnant and winning the hearts and minds of the locals. This was not a peacekeeping operation in which the Canadians were the foreign force with constant resupply from home, this was a fight for survival in unfamiliar territory, and the assistance from the locals as well as learning about the world would be the key to winning that fight. The situation was unprecedented and dire, yes, but Jack was still skeptical about RNJR's involvement. They had willingly helped him survive and battle the Grimm on the beach, but to ask that much of them...was difficult.

"Sir, with all due respect, team RNJR has a mission in another kingdom, the Kingdom of Mistral. This is a mission that they have been trying to accomplish for months, one that holds the goal of defeating enemies that aid the Grimm in destroying Human settlements. I highly doubt they'll drop it for us. In fact, when they rescued me, they asked if I could request transport for them in return."

Reid and Dietz looked at one another, neither looking impressed. "...That's a lot to ask, son." The Lieutenant-Colonel said.

"Yes, sir, but they did save my life, give me valuable information regarding the land and kingdoms, and help us secure our first victory against the Grimm."

"And we appreciate their contributions, but asking us to allocate a vehicle, such as a Griffon, to take them to another Kingdom in uncharted territory is a hefty task. Not only would it deplete fuel heavily, but it also risks the crew and vehicle itself. And considering the current situation, I don't think that is a risk that we can take. We don't know about where we are right now, to start sending people out to places we know even less about. Not to mention involving ourselves in this world's conflicts is a little out of our league at the moment."

Jack's eyes met the table, defeated. "Sir, with all due respect, why are you telling me this? RNJR won't stay if we give them nothing in return."

Were it a crew member under Dietz's command, or any soldier who had not just survived hell and walked back, the Officers would have torn him apart for the question and following comment.

"We're telling you, Private Carver." Captain Dietz started. "Because we want you to be the middleman between RNJR and us. Because you, as of this moment, are the most valuable source of intel. You are now a vital asset to the survival of this expedition, Jack Carver."

Jack did not like being special. So, upon hearing that he, a Private in the Infantry was the most valuable source of information regarding a planet he knew the bare minimum about in order to ensure the survival of a battalion and a Naval ship, was somewhat concerning.

"Sir...I'm an Infantry soldier. Intelligence isn't my strong suit." While Jack blamed the humorous assumption regarding the stupidity of Infantry grunts, the actual origin of his insecurity was a fear of failure.

"And you will continue to serve as an Infantry soldier. Which is why Doctor Grove will accompany your platoon on patrols to get him up to speed. In the meantime, you're our advisor. You're all we've got right now, son."

"Then sir, as your advisor, I can tell you that RNJR will not help us if we ask for their help and offer them no assistance in return. It's not that they wouldn't want to, but their mission is important to them, and time sensitive."

Reid rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "Very well. You tell them that if they help us, we'll give them transport, and manpower to help them. Hell, I'll even ask Captain Dietz to move the bloody Sir Isaac Brock if that's what it takes. Just get us their help, Carver. We need them, or we will die."

"I understand, Sir."

"Get it done, son. We're all counting on you."

"Yes, sir." Jack immediately rose to his feet and came to the position of attention, a form of respect as one cannot salute without a headdress.

He spun on his heel and hastily made for the door, exiting the Officer's mess.

Once the soldier left, the two high-ranking officers were left alone.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to promise to get involved with this planet's conflicts?" Dietz looked to Reid.

"At this point, Captain, I'm willing to do whatever the hell it takes to get my men home. Nothing can stand in the way of that."

"And our first step in doing so is trusting our fate to a child?"

"Ruby and her team are more than capable if their performance on the beach is any indication."

"...I wasn't talking about RNJR, Lieutenant-Colonel."

"Captain, please, have a little faith."

Jack shut the hatch behind him and exhaled. As he expected, RNJR had waited for the entire duration of the meeting, all sitting patiently in their seats.

"How'd it go in there?" Jaune looked up upon hearing the hatch shut.

"Terrifying as expected." Jack shrugged. "I never like talking to officers alone, but that's just me."

"What happened?" Nora asked, peeking over Ren's head.

"Apparently I'm a lot more important than I thought I was."

"What do you mean?" Ren asked, perplexed by the odd comment.

"...Well...I'll tell you all about it in a little bit, but I've got to get checked out by the medics first."

"Alright." Jaune started. "If you don't mind, I might have a look around while you're busy."

"Go for it." Jack said.

"Ren, Nora, what about you?" Ruby asked.

"We haven't eaten anything since morning...Can we go get some food?" Nora asked, her hands clutching her stomach.

"Yeah, if the guards here don't mind showing you the way."

The guards, who had been silent and bored the entire team perked up once they were mentioned. One of them, a Leading Seaman, the Navy equivalent to an Army Corporal gave Jack a thumbs up, signaling he was alright with splitting off and getting some food with Ren and Nora.

"What about her?" The first guard gestured to Ruby.

"Ruby, why don't you tag along with me?" Jack asked. "We can discuss a few things while I'm getting checked on by the medics."

"Sure!" Ruby got off her chair, stepping over to Jack.

"Well, that takes care of that. You need anything, give us a call." The Leading Seaman pointed to Jack.

While the gesture was unnecessary as Ruby harbored no ill intent towards Jack, it was good to know that the security staff was there to look out for the crew. Though Jack highly doubted that two guards armed with C8's could take on Ruby, much less the entirety of RNJR.

"Thanks. Come on, Ruby." Jack tilted his head in the direction they would be heading in; back down the corridor in which he had arrived from in order to reach the overflow ward.

When they were far enough away, Ruby broke the silence.

"So, what did they say?"

She figured there was a particular reason Jack asked her to accompany him to the ward. Ruby was correct; Jack did have an ulterior motive in bringing her along with the purpose of discussing the events of his meeting with the command staff. However, at the same time, he did genuinely just want to talk and get to know the team better individually. Two birds with one stone.

"Well, according to my boss, I'm the most important soldier on this boat as of this moment. For intel that is. And they want me to be the middleman between you and the command staff."

"Because you know the most about us and the Grimm?" Ruby guessed.

"Exactly."

"Flattering." Ruby joked, covering her mouth to giggle. "But to be honest, I'm not sure how much longer we'll be around…" She admitted.

Jack stroked his chin. Convincing her would be much more challenging than he anticipated.

"Didn't think I was that smart. But hey, I've only got one chevron, that's not up to me to decide."

"You don't give yourself enough credit."

"Maybe. Doesn't matter at this point, they've given me a job to do whether I like it or not. I've voiced my concern, and they want me for the job. At least until we get the one survivor up to speed to surpass me in knowledge."

"How long will that take?" Ruby asked.

"I don't think it'll take that long. He's a doctor, and I'm just a lucky Grunt who got his skin saved by you. Besides, he'll be coming with us on all our future patrols to document things."

"Isn't it a little dangerous to continue going out like that?"

"...Yeah...but that brings me to the next part…" Jack rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled.

"...What's wrong?"

Jack sighed and stopped walking, turning to face Ruby.

"Okay, there's no easy way to put it...They want you to stay. They want your help, Ruby. Not only for your incredible combat skills but to the middlemen between us and the locals. We need help out here while we're stuck or we'll all gonna die. And we will die."

Ruby was dumbstruck. The Canadians were asking them to put aside their objective. But at the same time, Jack was right; they would likely perish without assistance. But how many more would die if they could not stop those responsible for the fall of beacon?

"...Jack...You know we can't..."

"I know." He sighed again. "They wanted me to convince you. And in the very short time that I've known you, I don't think that'll work."

"I want to help you, I do...But too many lives are riding on our shoulders. Did they at least say anything about giving us a ride?"

"Actually, yeah." Jack shrugged. "Lieutenant-Colonel Reid wants to make a deal."

"A deal?" Ruby cocked her brow.

"He said he'd give you transport and even men to help you fight...If, you help us build up some connections and help us learn a bit more about Remnant."

Ruby put her hands on her hips and stared at the floor, thinking. Walking on foot and finding away across the ocean to the Kingdom of Mistral would certainly take many more months...but the delay of helping the Canadian troops would take just as long, if not longer. However, the offer of a smooth trip and reinforcements to fight was tempting.

"You're asking a lot of us, Jack." Ruby whispered, still staring at the floor.

"I know. And I understand if you can't. That was just the message I was ordered to relay. You saved my life and gave us intel. You don't owe us anything. No hard feelings."

Ruby looked up with a look of shock again. Jack was full of surprises. Wasn't he trying to convince her?

"You're a weird guy, Jack." Ruby said with a grin.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Nora was right, must've hit my head."

The soldier and the huntress burst out laughing. Once the laughter died down, Ruby would give her response.

"I'll think about it. Okay? And I'll have to talk to the team" She had expected to flat out say no, but something forced her to think about his offer.

"Sure thing." Jack nodded. After a few more moments of silent thinking, Jack nudged Ruby on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's go see what's wrong with me."

Jack hesitantly led them to the hatch that would bring them above deck to the overflow ward.

"Brace yourself." Jack said, half joking.

Climbing out of the hatch, Jack and Ruby were immediately hit with a gust of sea wind which was fresh and cooling, until the smell followed. While it had quieted down since he was last there, the medics were still working around the clock rushing from cot to cot. The quiet did not bring relief, however, as empty, blood-stained cots littered the deck. Jack doubted the occupants of those cots had recovered. He searched for the least splattered cot before quickly taking a seat and waiting patiently to avoid having to watch anymore wounded in pain. Jack looked down at his hands and grunted before finally removing his bloody gloves.

Ruby, in a much slower fashion, followed him over to the cot, observing all the wounded as she did. Not since the battle of Beacon had she seen so many casualties in one place. Blood littered the deck, making it no wonder as to why Jack was a splattered mess. As she made her way over, wounded and active troops alike would stop and admire the Huntress.

"That's her!" A wounded soldier with a bandage over his head smacked his fireteam partner on the side.

"Is it?" The other man asked, observing the petite girl walking to Jack's cot.

"Yeah, man! Hey!" The wounded soldier tried getting up to approach Ruby.

Ruby quickly rerouted herself to the cot to prevent him from exerting himself so soon after injury. She waved, trying to be friendly, If not coming off a little awkward.

"Holy shit." The other soldier, a non-injured Corporal, took a slight step back upon seeing the indigenous warrior up close.

"I told you!" The soldier grabbed Ruby's hand and began vigorously shaking it. "You really saved our asses out there! Thank you!"

"He's right. Good shit, Red!" The standing trooper pat her on the shoulder.

Soon after, many medics, wounded and able troops looked up to observe the source of the praise. Seeing Ruby, those able applauded and cheered, including Jack, who had seen her zeal first hand on the battlefield.

Ruby turned a bright red in the face, overwhelmed by the praise.

"T-thanks, just doing my job!" She sheepishly and awkwardly said before scurrying over to Jack's cot to escape the embarrassment.

Ruby took a seat on the cot to the right of Jack, hiding from all the other soldiers who had still been cheering regarding their victory over the Grimm.

"Good work...Hero." Jack smirked.

"Oh shut up!" Ruby hit him on the shoulder playfully.

In time, a weary medic approached them. Jack looked up. Both men locked eyes. They both recognized each other. However, words were not required. It had been the combat medic that he tried helping with Allen earlier. The man's cadpat had been warped to a dark red, and even his rank patch had been stained, making it difficult to read the rank of Corporal on his chest. His eyes were baggy, and his hands were no longer steady. He was completely exhausted.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked, probably more rude than he intended.

"Bruises and cuts. Nothing serious, Corporal." Jack responded. "It's not that bad honestly. If it helps I can wait while you get some rest."

"Ross. Just Ross." The medic corrected. "And no, you're here now, aren't you? Let's just get it over with…" He sighed and grabbed fresh latex gloves for cleanliness, although it was hard to avoid the dirt and blood at this point. "Remove your body armour and your shirt. What about you, kid?" He asked, looking to Ruby.

"I'm okay, thanks."

"If you say so…" Ross mumbled.

Jack complied and unzipped the tactical vest, removing it before working on the velcro that held the frag vest in place. He set the tactical gear down next to the cot and lifted his combat shirt over his head.

"Yep, you got scuffed up alright." Corporal Ross said while examining the purple bruises, abrasions, and cuts littered across the soldier's torso. "Don't need a medic to tell you that."

"How bad?" Jack asked, looking out to the beach again.

"You're lucky. Your cuts aren't infected yet." Ross stood up and began collecting an assortment of bandages and sterile wipes. "Hey, riding hood, hand me his IFAK, I'm running out of equipment." Ross called out to Ruby, getting no response.

"Oh, Jesus...Hey, red!" He snapped his fingers, gaining the attention of the Huntress who had been red in the face.

"Oh, sorry!" She grabbed Jack's gear and reached into the pouch she had searched for medical supplies the night before. "Here." Ruby handed Ross an assortment of supplies, hoping they were what he was looking for.

Without warning, Ross pressed a sterile cloth against a cut on Jack's torso and wiped it along the length of the wound.

"Ahah! Ah, careful!" Jack recoiled in irritation.

"Do you want me to clean you up, or not? Suck it up." Ross threw the stained cloth down before reaching for another one.

"Sucking it up…" Jack mumbled and grit his teeth.

Once his cuts were cleaned, Ross discarded the assorted cloth and began placing bandages on Jack's torso.

"Change your bandages every little while, make sure to rinse the wounds to keep them clean." Ross removed his gloves while standing up.

"Thanks, Doc."

"Yeah." Ross muttered in response to the thanks.

"Can I get you anything? You've been running around like mad since I got here earlier."

"Unless you bring me a six-pack of anything alcoholic, you can leave me alone for a start."

"Hey-" Ruby raised her finger to argue, only for Jack to gently press her hand down.

"It's okay, Ruby." Jack turned to Ross. "Whatever you need, Doc. Just give me a shout."

Without another word, Corporal Ross stormed off carrying his medical equipment, returning to monitor patients in his care.

"Jeez...What's his problem?" Ruby asked, watching the medic walking away.

"Poor guy probably just had to work on more than a dozen guys, only for a good chunk of them to die. He's not in a good place right now."

"I've never seen so many dead people." Ruby murmured while looking around, now coming to an understanding as to why Ross came off short.

"There would've been more if it weren't for you." Jack looked down to his vest, specifically at the torn material and blood stained CADPAT before looking up to Ruby. There was sincerity in his voice.

"You think so?" Ruby asked.

"Absolutely. I mean have been teasing about the hero comment but I wasn't wrong. You saved our asses, and...mine...several times."

"I was just doing what I thought was right in the heat of the moment...What any Huntress would've done." Ruby shrugged.

Jack was lost for a moment, observing the impressive silver tint in Ruby's eyes. He cleared his throat and looked down at his gear again nervously. Ruby raised a brow, bewildered.

"Yeah, well, you saved a lot of lives. All four of you." Jack grabbed his combat shirt and pulled it over his head.

Jack shifted himself so he could stare off the side of the ship and watch the sun reflect off the water. He decided to get comfortable, assuming he'd be there for a while to talk and recover at the same time.

"So we've spoken quite a bit in the last twenty-four hours...And I still don't know a lot about you." Jack chuckled. "I'd like to change that about RNJR. It'd be nice to have friends in strange places if you guys decide to head out."

"Still trying to gather information, Jack?" Ruby crossed her arms with a smirk.

"Nah, I doubt the CO will want to know where you're from, how many siblings you have, what music you like, so on and so forth."

Discussing anything other than what had just occurred on the beach was preferable to Jack. Making friends was the last thing he thought he would be doing once going through the Anomaly, but the expedition seemed to be full of surprises thus far.

Ruby chuckled. "Well, we'll start from the beginning then! I was born on Patch. It's an island off the coast of Vale. Beautiful and quiet. My parents were huntsmen too, actually! They were on the same team during their time at Beacon."

From what Jack understood, aspiring soldiers and warriors would attend combat schools before attending one of four huntsmen academies all over the world. Beacon had been the academy RNJR was attending before the battle that she told him about, the same battle that claimed the life of someone very close to Jaune.

"Daughter of warriors huh?" Jack cocked a brow. "Sounds familiar."

"Your dad was a soldier, right?" Ruby asked, seeing the similarities.

"Yeah, in the PPCLI. Bet he was pissed when I got tasked to RCR...Anyway." Jack shrugged. "Any siblings?"

"Yeah, an older sister." Ruby rubbed her shoulder while looking down at the flight deck. "Yang. She was on my team before all...this."

With the fall of Beacon, RNJR, an inexperienced team of misfits were cast out into the world to complete a mission that would be daunting to the most elite huntsmen.

"Yeah? And what is she like?"

"Complete opposite of me, really. Out there, popular...not socially awkward…"

"Haha, you're not doing that bad." Jack teased.

"What about you?"

Jack watched the beach intently and silently for a few moments before nodding. "Yeah. A little brother."

Ruby turned her body, facing Jack. The odd moment of silence was off-putting "...And?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, like you said…" Ruby poked the soldier before mimicking his facial expression he had so eagerly made at the campfire. "I like stories."

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **EARTH TIME- 1300**

 **ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY  
** **MARITIME FORCES PACIFIC  
** **MARPAC  
** **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ**

Although the hangar was packed with engineers and soldiers, all attempting to repair and assess damage to company LAVs and aircraft that were left on the flight deck, Dietz' demeanor parted the crowds like the Red Sea. As he passed, he kept a keen eye out for Kendall and where Dietz knew he would be. In a sea of CADPAT, he spotted his XO in a bright blue shirt atop a griffon helicopter. As he approached, he noticed a woman with him. Both mounted opposite sides of the chopper. The woman was wearing a navy blue jumpsuit over her uniform. It appeared as if they were inspecting the helicopter's rotor for damage. He stopped beside the cockpit, looking up at the two as they worked. Unbenounced to him, the woman was the very co-pilot that extracted the team just a few hours earlier.

"Watch that you don't nick the hydraulic line, it's easily mistakable for a-" Langer was cut off.

"I appreciate the heads up Langer, but I was in the air force for long enough to know- oh shit." Kendall set down his tool and put his hands in the air, making it visible that he wasn't touching anything.

"What?"

"It's leaking."

"I thought you said you knew the difference!"

"I do, the thing just started pouring fluid. I didn't do anything I swear."

"I beg to differ, here move."

Langer leaped down from the helicopter and ran around to Kendall's side of the craft, unknowingly moving past Dietz and remounting beside the XO

"Jesus it's like you nicked an artery."

"What should I do?"

"Nothing, just hand me a roll of tape."

"Uh…" Kendall looked around at the pile of tools to his right and pulled out a roll from the bottom of the pile "Here."

Langer snatched the roll from Kendall's hand and started to wrap a piece around the cut in the tube. Even though the fluid began to bleed through, the more tape she rolled around, the less fluid escaped the casing. After a few seconds, the tape did its work to stop the leak.

"I have to tell you, sir, I don't think you have a future in aviation engineering if the Navy doesn't work out."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Don't sweat it, sir. I meant to replace the fluids anyway."

"Ahem." Dietz now made his presence known to the two officers who were still mounted on the side of the helicopter.

"Sir." Langer jumped down from her position and came to attention. Dietz returned the address with a formal salute and began to lean on the cockpit door

"I'm sorry-" Dietz squinted in on the open part of the pilot's jumpsuit to get a rank from her uniform. "-Lieutenant. But I'm going to need to steal my XO from you."

"Of course sir, we just finished."

Kendall hopped down from the craft and wiped his hands off using a towel that was hanging from his shoulder. The front of his shirt was almost black, as well as parts of his face. The two exchanged looks of discontent, followed by an awkward silence.

"I think they've made some fresh orange juice in the mess hall Lieutenant. Perhaps you should try some."

"No thanks, sir I'm fine, got some water right-"

Dietz leaned right, looking past Kendall and giving a disapproving look to her.

"...Uhh...Then again, sir, I'd hate for it to go to waste..."

Once Lieutenant Langer had quickly darted off, Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Commander Kendall were alone to talk. For better or for worse.

"Have you completely lost your mind, Mike?"

"...Sir?"

"I told you to return to the Brock at the first sign of danger. Instead, I find out you went behind my back and blatantly disobeyed my order to return to the ship."

"Sir, the Brock…"

"The Brock was being sieged by a hostile force, and her XO was nowhere to be found."

"I thought-"

"You thought what, that the rules don't apply to you? That you can pick and choose what regs you follow?"

Kendall dismissed himself, entering the Griffon and taking a seat on one of the interior seats

"Is this still about turning the helicopter around?"

"What do you think?" Dietz joined him inside the Griffon, closing the exterior door once he sat down for privacy.

"I think you have a lot of stuff to get off your mind, some of it hurtful, but I digress."

"There in lies the problem, your smartass responses. The men like you Mike, you make a solid officer. You help them get through tough times. It's because of that that I look the other way. That aside you seem to make the same stupid decisions time and time again."

"You think I made the wrong decision?"

"Your mission was purely to go in, get Carver and extract. Instead, I figure out after the fact, that my XO is fighting on the frontlines with aliens!"

"Well...technically sir... _we're_ the aliens."

"Do you think this is a joke?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood-"

"See?! There you go again. The right answer is 'no sir.' I've given you an inch Mike, and you've made it into a country mile."

"When you asked, I told you I'd make the right decision, and I did. If given the opportunity I'd do it again. I couldn't leave those men when I knew we could help."

"Whatever happened to the 'when I say jump' mentality?"

"Sir I-"

Lieutenant Beckett's voice came over the ship's loudspeakers as clear as day "Command crew to the bridge, command crew to the bridge."

" _Saved by the bell._ " Kendall thought to himself

Dietz got up first and reached for the handle to the helicopter door. As it swung open, he turned and to face Kendall, putting out his hand to stop him from moving. "We will finish this conversation later, but just know, if you put another toe out of line, I'll court martial you myself."

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **EARTH TIME- 1350**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BRAVO COMPANY  
** **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

"Jack." A voice interrupted their long conversation.

Ruby and Jack turned their heads, seeing Master Corporal Farren standing there, equally dirty and equally tired.

"Boss!" Jack yelled. He hadn't seen Farren since the battle.

"How are you two feeling?" Farren walked over to the cot that they both sat on, looking out at the beach.

"I'm okay!" Ruby gave a thumbs up.

"Not surprised there, ass kicker." Farren chuckled before looking to Jack. "You?"

"Been better, but I'm alive." Jack seemed skeptical. The last time he saw the Master Corporal, he was spewing profanity in rage over the death of Lieutenant Bishop.

"I've got something that'll keep you alive, actually."

"Yeah? What do you have there?" Jack asked, just now seeing a CADPAT dome in his grasp.

"You said you lost your helmet." Farren lifted the helmet into clear view. "Are you a size medium?"

"Yeah, I think so!" Jack said while looking at the helmet. He'd feel a lot better running into a battlefield with a helmet on his head. He felt lucky and surprised that the ship supply had spare helmets.

Farren looked inside the helmet once again to confirm the size displayed on the tag before tossing the kevlar to him. "Try it on, make sure it fits."

Jack fastened the helmet to his head and shook it around, testing its support and comfort. "It's a good fit." He gave a thumbs up before feeling an object within the helmet pressed against his head. Jack undid the chin strap and removed the helmet to investigate, finding a photo and a folded note within the webbing of the helmet. His hands retrieved the objects, removing them from the helmet to inspect them.

The photo displayed a Master Corporal in his uniform, holding hands with a woman dressed in a white dress, both wearing wedding bands. Both smiled widely. The note associated with it was a long, heartfelt message from the helmet owners wife, expressing how much she'd miss him while he was away on deployment. Jack felt uncomfortable reading it and taking the helmet. He folded the note back up and put it with the photo.

"When do I have to give it back? I doubt a Master Corporal would be okay with me taking his helmet."

Farren, who had turned and began walking away the moment he discovered the photo, stopped in his tracks upon hearing Jack's question. The lack of answer disturbed both Jack and Ruby.

"Boss-"

"He won't need it anymore." Farren said coldly before walking away.

Silence. Jack nor Ruby knew what to say. Their conversation had been cut short, that much was clear.

"...I should...talk to the rest of the team…" Ruby muttered.

"...Yeah...just uhh...keep me posted, okay?" Jack's eyes didn't leave the photo.

"Sure thing." Ruby got off the cot and started to walk away before taking another glance at Jack, who had still been staring down. After speaking about the sensitive topic of his brother with her, he certainly didn't deserve to have that bomb dropped on him. "Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"If it means anything, I think you're a good person. And I want to help you."

Jack looked up at the Huntress with a half smile. "Thanks, Ruby."

She shot the soldier one more smile before turning and walking away.

A bird caw caught Jack's attention once Ruby had left. Atop the command tower, a lone Crow looked down, staring right back at him. Jack had glanced for a few more moments before a flock of birds brought his attention away from the Crow.

The flock flew towards the sun, in a beautiful formation.

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **EARTH TIME- 1400**

 **HUNTRESS  
** **TEAM RNJR  
** **RUBY ROSE**

Ruby sat patiently in the Junior Ranks mess of the Sir Isaac Brock, waiting for Nora, Jaune, and Ren to arrive with their escorts. Soon enough, the team was reunited.

"What's up, Ruby?" Nora was the first to ask why she had called them all there.

"We need to talk about a few things."

"Agreed." Jaune nodded. "For starters. I think it's safe to say Jack's telling the truth. The battle and the ship alone are evidence enough. But I've been asking around amongst the soldiers. The stories are all the same. So unless it's all a huge lie, Jack told us the truth."

"I think it's unlikely that Jack would've lied in the first place. He doesn't strike me as that kind of person." Ren interjected.

"Not saying I'm entirely persuaded yet, but if you guys trust them, I will too." Jaune crossed his arms. "We work as a team, that's how it started, and it'll stay that way."

"Speaking of staying as a team…" Ruby scratched her neck nervously. "The commanders asked Jack to...convince us to stay…"

"...What?" Nora raised a brow. "Stay? We can't stay! We still have months before we get to Mistral!"

"I know." Ruby nodded.

"This would cause a major delay in our objective."

"I know." Ruby said again.

"This wasn't apart of the plan!"

"I know!" Ruby yelled. "Truth is, if we don't help them. They're all going to die. Let's face it. If they're telling the truth, which judging by how they fought the Grimm, I think they are, they don't stand a chance! Are we really okay with letting a couple thousand people die when we could've helped them?"

"Ruby, I don't want them to get hurt, but we've got to stop the people that destroyed Beacon before they hurt anyone else." Jaune sighed.

"They offered us transport and military assistance if we help them."

The room fell silent.

"That changes things." Jaune muttered.

"All I'm asking for is a few days to think about it. A few days won't cost us that much ground. If we help them, not only will we save their lives, but we have the opportunity to stop those responsible." Ruby pleaded.

"What happens if we stay?" Nora asked, twiddling her thumbs.

Ren stroked his chin while contemplating Ruby's proposition. "Nothing changes. It is as Jaune said, we started this journey as a team, and we'll stay that way no matter what. We'll take each day as it is, stay together."

He stood up and crowded with his team.

"And we'll Keep Moving Forward."

* * *

A/N: Thank you very much for your patience, we sincerely apologize for the time it took to pump this chapter out. Hopefully we can update more often, but we are the victims of pretty busy schedules. But fear not, we intend to see this through! As always, thanks for reading! New entires have been added to the glossary.

Please let us know if the Glossary actually helps you. if it does, we will continue to use it every chapter.

Stay awesome and **Keep Moving Forward**

* * *

 **GLOSSARY OF TERMS**

 **REGIMENTS: - *NEW ENTRIES***

 **RCR-** The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
 **PPCLI-** Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
 **R22R-** The Royal 22e Régiment, or The Royal 22nd Regiment (Commonly known as: The Van Doos); the third and final Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army. (We haven't mentioned this Regiment as of this chapter, but we thought it was important to put down). ***NEW*  
** **JTF2-** Joint Task Force 2, Canadian Tier 1 Special Forces. ***NEW***

 **STRUCTURE:**

 **BATTALION-** An organization of rifle companies and a support company. (Usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel)  
 **COMPANY-** An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon. (Usually commanded by a Captain)  
 **PLATOON-** An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment. (Usually commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or full Lieutenant)  
 **SECTION-** A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad") (Usually commanded by a Sergeant or a senior Master Corporal)  
 **FIRE TEAM-** A team of 2 soldiers (Commanded by the most senior member of the fireteam)

 **COMMAND:**  
 **IC-** Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)  
 **2IC-** Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)  
 **CM-** Commissioned Member. A Canadian Forces member who holds a commission from the Queen or reigning Monarch of England. Typically known as "Officers" (2nd Lieutenant and above)  
 **NCM-** Non Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)

 **GEAR: - *NEW ENTRIES***

 **CADPAT-** Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc).  
 **COMBAT SHIRT-** A combat shirt is different from the traditional military top. It is a top designed to be worn beneath heavy sweat inducing body armour. The torso is made of a soft, moisture wicking material similar to that of Under Armour to provide comfort. The arms are made of traditional uniform material and still have the CADPAT camouflage printed on them. (For a visual, search "Cadpat Combat Shirt" on google images).  
 **TAC VEST-** Short for Tactical Vest. Tactical Vests are load bearing equipment that hold useful supplies for soldiers. Specifically ammunition, grenades and medical supplies.  
 **IFAK-** Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest.  
 **FRAG VEST-** The Canadian Forces' Frag Vest is designed to protect against fragmentation, however has since seen an upgrade featuring slots for ballistic plates to protect the wearer's vital organs.  
 **LEVEL 3+ PLATES-** Ballistic plates designed by AR500 Armor, provides significant protection from firearms.  
 **MECHANIX M-PACT-** The M-Pact series glove has individual thermoplastic rubber finger guards to protect against blunt force trauma against the hands and fingers as well as reinforced index finger and thumb pieces to increase grip on tools or weaponry. - ***NEW***

 **INFANTRY WEAPONS:**

 **C7A2-** Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. Similar platform to the US Armed Forces' M4 and M16 series. 5.56x45mm round.  
 **C8-** Carbine variant of the C7A2. (Shorter barrel length than the full sized C7A2).  
 **C9A2 LMG-** Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249  
 **C6 GPMG-** The C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon, however, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III  
 **BROWNING HI-POWER-** Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however on deployments they are issued to common troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power, not 'High' Power oddly enough). Chambered in 9mm.  
 **M203-** Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade.  
 **C-13-** Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.  
 **FOURTY MIKE MIKE-** Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.  
 **THE 9-** Slang for the C9A2 LMG  
 **CARL GUSTAV-** The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.  
 **M32 MGL-** A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps).

 **NON-INFANTRY WEAPONS:**

 **JDAM-** The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground.  
 **MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY-** Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations.  
 **25MM CANNON-** The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"  
 **ARTY-** Short for Artillery.  
 **AA-** Anti-Air

 **VEHICLES:**

 **CF-18-** Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.  
 **MILCOT-** Military Commercial Off the Shelf (Military acquired vehicles)  
 **CH-146 GRIFFON-** The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-use utility helicopter of the Huey family, designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant for the Canadian Armed Forces  
 **CH-148 Cyclone-** The CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations and is intended to replace the venerable CH-124 Sea King, which has been in operation since 1963. Primarily operated by the RCAF  
 **LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT-** The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military.  
 **SEA KING-** The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian Naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces since 1963  
 **SEA AVENGER-** Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.  
 **LAV-** Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry  
 **RHIB-** Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow  
 **HMCS ALGONQUIN-** Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification.  
 **HMCS BONAVENTURE-** Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy. After a service of 14 years she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.  
 **HMCS ENDEAVOUR-** Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK-** Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed wing aircraft.  
 **HMCS VICTORIA-** One of four long-range hunter-killer (Sub-Surface Killer) submarines of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia.  
 **USS PENNSYLVANIA-** SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad.

 **POLITICAL:  
**  
 **PM-** Prime Minister of Canada  
 **MND-** Minister of National Defence  
 **CDS-** Chief of the Defence Staff  
 **NATO-** North Atlantic Treaty Organization  
 **J.A.G-** Judge Advocate General. Entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.

 **NAVAL TERMINOLOGY:**

 **BOW-** Front of a boat  
 **CIC-** Combat Information Center  
 **CVN-** Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.  
 **CIWS-** (Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome like housing.  
 **C.O-** Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain. Typically the "Captain" has the rank of Commander despite being the "Captain" (Senior Officer) of the vessel. (Confusing, right?)  
 **EMP-** Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range  
 **X.O-** Second in Command of the Vessel. Typically the X.O. holds the rank of Lieutenant-Commander  
 **FANTAIL-** Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel  
 **FLANK SPEED-** Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.  
 **HELM/HELMSMAN-** Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. Helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgement calls on behalf of officers.  
 **HMCS-** Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.  
 **KNOT-** Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.  
 **NAV/ NAVIGATION OFFICER-** Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control and listening stations.  
 **OOW-** Officer of the Watch. Also acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.  
 **PORT-** Left-hand side of the ship  
 **REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES-** Safety protocols to protect the engines from long term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.  
 **TAO-** (Tee- aee-oh) Tactical Operations Officer who is in charge of coordinating fire control on a naval vessel.  
 **QUIET ORDERS-** Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.  
 **STARBOARD-** Right-hand side of the ship  
 **STERN-** Back of a ship

 **BASES:**  
  
 **CFB PETAWAWA-** Headquarters for 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment.  
 **CFB ESQUIMALT-** Headquarters for the Canadian Pacific Fleet. Located on Victoria Island, British Columbia.  
 **CFB HALIFAX-** Headquarters for the Canadian Atlantic Fleet. Located in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  
 **UNS BASE GUAM-** United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance

 **MISC: - *NEW ENTRIES***

 **DANGER CLOSE-** A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position. Within 500m of the unit in question.  
 **BMQ-** Basic Military Qualification that ALL Canadian Forces members (Regardless of trade they chose) must go through prior to trade training (An Infantry soldier must do BMQ before going on his/her Infantry course)  
 **OPERATION OVERLORD-** The Allied assault on Normandy on June 6th 1944 during the Second World War. Regarded as the largest amphibious assault in human history.  
 **AAR-** After Action Report  
 **CCP-** Casualty Collection Point - ***NEW*  
** **FOB-** Forward Operating Base  
 **CONCERTINA WIRE-** Coils of barbed wire  
 **ACK-** Acknowledged  
 **ROG-** Roger  
 **TRIAGE-** Triage is the process of determining the priority of patient treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately. - ***NEW***  
 **VSA-** Vital Signs Absent. Reported when an individual has no pulse. - ***NEW*  
** **HE-** High Explosive round capable of intense damage. - ***NEW***


	7. Out of the Frying Pan

_A/N: Hey everyone! We're back with another chapter! So the plan is to try and maintain a Friday night update schedule every week or two weeks. It's not ideal by any means but with work and classes it makes the most sense. It sure beats the current "It's ready when it's ready" schedule. That being said, we want to get your opinion on something that will influence the rate of uploads:_

 _Maintain current length of chapters (longer time between uploads)_ _ **OR**_ _Shorter chapters (more frequent updates)_

 _We'd appreciate your feedback on that! Moving on, Starwarsmast3r and I would like to address a milestone we passed. We have passed 100 Followers on the story as well as over 100 combined Reviews and Favourites. Both of us profusely thank you for your continued support through reviews, PM's and suggestions on the story. Thanks to_ _ **your**_ _feedback, the story format has changed greatly, for the better, since chapter one and your insight has provoked us to think about our plans going forward. As mentioned, your continued support is both encouraging and empowering for us. Seriously, thank you so much -_ _y'all are awesome._

 _It goes without saying, but if you have any questions, concerns or comments on our story, please feel free to drop a review or shoot us a PM as our boxes are always open for lengthy discussion or suggestions!_

 _On to some side notes; We've heard some feedback on the glossary and the consensus seems to be to keep it in place, so it shall be done. The glossary will continue to be updated when and where needed and we will continue to make to more accessible for those who need it._

 _Again, thank you for your continued support. We love writing out this story and we're glad you all love reading it. We hope you had a great Easter holiday and we'll be back again in a few weeks!_

 _ **#TeamCarver**_

* * *

 _RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land_

Chapter 7: Out of the Frying Pan...

* * *

 ****

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **FORESTS OF VALE  
** **EARTH TIME- 12:44**

 **1** **ST** **BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1** **ST** **PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

It was mid-day in Remnant. Although it would be late spring back on Earth, the sun was alive and beating on Remnant, much to the dismay of the patrolling Platoon. Through the vast forests of Sanus, Jack and his section along with the rest of 1st Platoon; accompanied by Dr. Grove and team RNJR, stopped by a stream to take a rest. Although Jack was keeping his eyes open for Grimm, he was taken by the serene beauty of the area. In a way, it was like being back on Earth. It had the same sense of beauty and danger that CFB Petawawa had back in training. One moment, he found himself enjoying the view, the next he would be bombarded by instructors and proceed to do an ungodly amount of pushups as punishment for whatever he did, or didn't do. Jack took out his canteen and took a few sips of water while he had the chance, waiting for Farren to give out instructions

"Alright, we'll take a ten-minute break here before we start moving again. Fill up your canteens while you can, we got a long time before we can turn around towards the Brock.." Farren dismissed himself from the group, taking a radio with him to update the Brock.

"Can't we just ride the LAV?" Jerome asked, gesturing to the armored vehicle halted a couple meters behind the patrol. The tired soldier dropped to the ground and removed his boots to give his feet some air.

"You know the drill, kid." Owens called out. "Boots on the ground."

Jack still watched Farren closely as he spoke into his radio. He'd been saying the bare minimum since the battle for the beach. It was unsettling. His attention was soon drawn to Corporal Ross, who likely had enough of filing casualty reports on the Brock and decided to get back out in the field, joining them in their routine patrols. He had been quiet since they last spoke on the flight deck.

Meanwhile, Doctor Grove ran for the stream, taking mouthfuls of water while he had time. The man had a beating red complexion and had been partially out of breath. He dropped his bag in a frenzy when he neared the stream, dropping its contents to the ground. Grove had insisted upon taking samples of everything and anything he could find. He collected soil samples, organic samples, even going so far as to climb a tree to get an out of reach specimen. Perhaps the reason he was so out of breath. Jack pushed back the the sleeve of his uniform and looked down at his black wristwatch to check the time.

"Still got some time, why the hell not..." As he pulled down the sleeve of his combat shirt, Jack pulled out his journal and added a new entry. He swiftly turned the bloody pages, searching for the next clean page.

 _Jack Carver: Journal Entry Three_

 _It's been a few days, so I guess I'll write another entry. Hopefully with no distractions this time._

 _It's been about three days since I ran into RNJR and fought at the beach. Which means we've been stuck here for about four or five days with no way out so far. Despite how many guys were killed and injured, Command is certain we've got a solid footing on the beach now...After all that and we've only got the beach secured - 51 dead after two more guys succumbed to their wounds on the flight deck. Command is hopeful that we'll get back and give the guys a proper burial, so the Chaplain held a service for them. Captain Dietz had the Brock fire off three training rounds in a gun salute, which was a nice touch, lord knows they deserve it. The engineers managed to set up a FOB with minimal resistance. Owens is sure we've scared the Grimm off the beach. Farren, on the other hand, thinks they're waiting. We can hear them out there sometimes. I don't think they_ _can_ _be scared. I try not to think about it. Just can't shake the feeling that we're being watched at all times._

 _On the bright side, RNJR decided to stick around for a while. Ruby must've convinced the rest of the team. That's another one I owe them. If we find what we're looking for, we're gonna help them out, it's the least we can do. Command has my platoon, in particular, going out on long range patrols with RNJR. This is our third time out, luckily with little resistance from the wildlife. No settlements though. Ruby says it's gonna be rare to find anyone this far out due to the Grimm, but hopefully, we'll run into some people soon. Apparently, villages without natural barriers don't last long out here, which isn't very surprising. Command has been breathing down our necks for constant briefs, which I'm sure is pissing Farren off beyond belief. I'm worried about him, he's being rather stoic,_ _more than usual_ _. Owens says it's just his personality but I'm willing to bet he's just tired of losing people. I'm sure Corporal Ross feels the same too. I'm probably going to sit them down and try to-_

Jack was interrupted by a presence near his left leg. As he set down his pen and booklet he spotted Dr. Grove on his hands and knees, prodding at the bottom of his boot with a scalpel.

"Uh, whatcha doin' doc?" After watching him work the past three days, Jack wasn't surprised to see the Doctor in compromising positions but was more confused as to why he was picking at his boot.

"Would you mind lifting your foot, Private Carver? You seem to have a prime specimen attached to the bottom of your foot."

"Sure thing Doc." Jack lifted his foot slowly, canting his head to see what Grove was interested in. Unbenounced to him, there was a stick lodged in the grooves of his sole. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Grove retrieved the sick, examining it closer.

"It's just a stick, Doctor..." Jack scratched the back of his neck in confusion.

"That's what you think, but who knows what kinds of secrets this little stick may hold. You see, plant life, much like humans have unique DNA that can-" A hand reached out, stealing the stick from Grove's hand, throwing it into the nearby stream.

"Ten minutes is up, time to get moving." Farren nodded to Jack and continued down the path. Grove stood motionless, watching the stick flow with the current until it was out of sight.

"Sorry, doc." Jack took his rifle with one hand, using the other to pat Grove on the back. "We'll find another, I'm sure."

"Not your fault Private. You gentlemen aren't trained to see the finer things in life. No matter." Grove collected his bag and the few specimen jars and photos that had fallen out prior.

"Uhh...Right. Thanks...I think." Jack shrugged before rejoining the formation.

After some more walking along the rugged trail, Jerome jogged up to Jack's side, tapping him on the shoulder as he did.

"Hey man." Jerome was the first to speak.

"Hey, bud, what's up?" Jack glanced to his right, acknowledging the other soldier before his eyes returned to the front to watch the trail.

"I didn't really get to say sorry...For you know, leaving you behind and all that..." The soldier's eyes met the dirt trail that they walked on. Both his voice and tone were low.

"Don't worry about it. It was an accident. Stuff happens that we can't control. The Ursa knocked me too far into the woods, you likely would've gotten hurt or killed if you managed to get away from Owens and Farren." Jack playfully punched his comrade on the shoulder. "So don't worry about. We're cool, man!" He flashed a grin to his fireteam partner.

Jerome found himself in slight shock. After being abandoned and almost killed several times, Jack hardly seemed bothered.

"Besides." Jack started. "Because of how things went down...we met Ruby. I've got you to thank for that, pal." A smirk curled on the Private's lips.

"You're welcome?" Jerome shrugged. Then it hit him. "Oh." He started. " _Oh..._ " The soldier smirked with a raised brow.

Both soldiers broke into a laugh.

Their chat was interrupted by the roar of the LAV's engine getting closer.

"Carver!" A voice came from within the LAV as the crew commander hatch opened. Moments later, Lieutenant Bryson emerged from the bowels of the armoured vehicle.

"Sir?" Jack stopped in his tracks, now facing the vehicle.

"I need you to run ahead and link up with RNJR, get them to halt for now, we're receiving orders from the Brock. Keep in radio contact, okay?"

"Understood, Sir." Jack immediately turned, preparing to run off ahead of the platoon to find RNJR, who had been tasked with forward recon. He reached into his tactical vest, retrieving his headset.

"Corporal Owens!" Bryson shouted immediately after. "Go with him. No one goes alone while we're out here! Not losing any more men."

"Roger that, Sir." Owens sighed, collapsing the stock of his C9 and slinging it around his shoulder.

"Hey, Jack?" Jerome called out before the soldier could run off.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

With that, Owens and Carver were off, delving deeper along the trail to search for RNJR.

The two men were relatively silent with the exception of some yawning or small warnings of troublesome terrain along the path.

"God I hate this place…" Soon enough, Owens mumbled. Unsurprisingly it was of his distaste for Remnant.

"Yeah, that makes two of us." Jack nodded. "But at least when we get home, we'll have a lot of stories to tell!"

"If we get back." Owens thought aloud.

"We're gonna get back." Jack said more firm than he had intended.

"How do you know?"

"I just do, now can we _please_ talk about _literally anything_ else?"

"Fine. Fine."

While they spoke, Owens' hand reached into his pocket, fidgeting for something. Jack raised a brow as the other soldier cursed under his breath to retrieve whatever it was he was searching for. Eventually, Owens retrieved a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. The Corporal shakily placed a cigarette between his lips and lifted the lighter to the end of the cigarette. Evidently, he had little experience.

"You smoke?" Jack found himself perplexed. "Since when?"

"Since 51 of our friends were killed." Owens still tried to light his cigarette, getting more annoyed with every failed attempt. "Since we got _stuck_ in the middle of this _shit_." With a few more failed attempts, he had enough. "Since I realized that the only way I'm going home is in a goddamn casket!" The Corporal threw the black lighter down into the dirt.

Carver had stood there silently for the duration of Owens' rant, letting him get it all out. Jack observed their surroundings with his rifle raised, fearing that the negative emotion would attract Grimm. When nothing came, Jack knelt down, grabbing the lighter out of the dirt.

"I may only be a Private and not know a lot...But I know one thing." Jack lifted the lighter to Owens' cigarette and lit it successfully, scorching the end of the thinly cut tobacco rolled in paper. "You're gonna get home. Alive."

Owens exhaled, blowing smoke into the air. It brought some relief.

"I don't need evidence or anything like that. I just know. Carver's have always had good luck."

"You're stubborn, kid." Owens took another puff from his cigarette before looking Jack in the eyes. Sam Owens had taken the young private as just that; a young inexperienced soldier. However the more they worked together while stuck on Remnant, he grew to respect him. "But you're a good kind of stubborn…"

"I've been getting that a lot lately."

Owens reached into his pocket, retrieving a second cigarette and offered it to Jack. What appeared to be a small gesture was actually that of gratitude, friendship, and respect, as gifting another soldier a portion of your luxury supply was rare due to lack of resupply or limited quantities in general.

"No thanks, don't smoke. Now c'mon, let's go find Ruby! Lieutenant Bryson is gonna be looking for an update soon."

"Right…" Sam watched Jack turn his back and walk towards their objective. He then looked down to his cigarette, and back to the other soldier. He removed the small stick of tobacco from his lips and discarded it to the dirt before following Private Carver further along the trail.

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **FORESTS OF VALE  
** **EARTH TIME- 12:55**

 **1** **ST** **BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1** **ST** **PLATOON  
** **LT. BRYSON**

Despite the lack of contact with RNJR, the platoon pushed forward through the dense forest. This area in specific was extremely dense with brush and shrubbery, the LAV driver was careful to avoid the obstructions, despite their abundance. Lieutenant Bryson sat over a hand-drawn map of the region, studying the details carefully. Doctor Grove, RNJR as well as the Recce excursions had contributed to an in-depth map of the greater region. The map provided great insight for the Lieutenant, being able to coordinate efforts with the Brock for deployment. As the LAV moved across the uneven terrain, it rocked back and forth and so to did its occupants.

"Recce 2-1, this is Brock Actual." The radio crackled.

Bryson, still partially occupied on studying the map, reached for the radio while not taking his eyes off the task at hand.

"Recce 2-1 here, go ahead Brock Actual."

"Recon, be advised we are tracking a large enemy presence five klicks north-west of your current position. We're tracking several hot spots along your route, the shortest range is two klicks."

This revelation took Bryson's attention immediately. Without delay, he folded up the map and placed it in his backpack next to him. Bryson got up out of his seat shortly afterward, slamming his fist against the wall behind the driver, signaling him to stop.

"Affirmative Actual, how do you advise?"

"Avenger is showing a village two klicks further along your plotted route, thermal readings absent. From there you can move around the enemy force. Plan to add an extra four hours to your trip."

"Correct me if I'm wrong Actual, but that'll make our ETA around twenty-two hundred hours."

"That is affirmative Recon."

Bryson paused before responding. He always anticipated a wrench being thrown into his plans, but this was a lot bigger than a wrench. Only one person had survived the night in the wild without Canadian reinforcements and that was Private Jack Carver, and even _he_ got help from RNJR.

"Actual, permission to make camp for the night."

"Negative Lieutenant, I can't approve you making camp in hostile territory overnight. Too many unknowns."

"Sir, with all due respect, Ms. Rose has informed us of the hostile nature of the land during the evening hours. The sound of a LAV and a moving platoon will draw undue attention. I can post up my men in that village for cover."

Like Bryson, Dietz stood like a statue in the CIC. Dietz hated the idea of leaving soldiers in the wild without available support. He hated the Grimm for cutting off his men. He hated this whole damn world. He shook his head in dismay and caved.

"Fine, you win Lieutenant. I want you on my flight deck by midday tomorrow or there'll be Hell to pay."

"Copy that, Sir. Keep our seats warm and the food ready, we'll be back for Lunch."

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **FORESTS OF VALE  
** **EARTH TIME- 12:55**

 **1** **ST** **BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1** **ST** **PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

"Jesus, how far ahead did they go?" Corporal Owens lifted his C9, using the optical zoom to try and spot team RNJR further up the trail.

"Good question." Jack murmured. "They haven't checked in for a while..."

"You don't think they took off, do you?"

Jack shook his head. "No, I don't think they're the kind of people to do that. Something must've happened. Sooner or later we're gonna find out."

Both troopers cocked their weapons and placed their weapons on safe. They continued to march along the trail. Though it was still day, the tree canopy hid most of the sunlight, leaving the soldiers in semi-darkness. The atmosphere was unsettling. They were hundreds of meters ahead of the Platoon, now out of sight due to the winding road, meaning support was too far away should a life-threatening situation arise. And who knew where RNJR was down the path... _if_ they were even still out there.

Jack tried to lighten the mood with further conversation. "You speak to Farren at all lately?"

"A little yeah, he usually keeps to himself. Why? Have you?"

"Not a word since the flight deck." Jack shook his head. "Well, other than orders and what not." He shrugged.

"Can't really blame him."

"Huh?" Jack turned his head with an eyebrow cocked. "What do you mean?"

Owens kept his gaze forward but answered the question. "Well, he doesn't really tell me a whole lot, but I've gathered that he really hates losing men. Plus you remind him of his son, probably why he doesn't chat with you often. Doubt he has anything against you, just the idea of losing people and his son don't mix well. That's my guess."

"Oh. And here I was, under the impression he wanted to keep an eye on me. Something about being a good soldier or something?" Jack chuckled.

When Owens did not laugh, Jack stopped, turning to face him. "...What?"

"...Farren's son was killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, Jack..."

Both men fell silent.

"... _Oh_ …" Jack mumbled. "...Well...that uhh...that explains it…"

"Yeah, poor guy has been through some shit."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have aske-"

A snapping tree branch deep within the forest caught the attention of both men. Owens dropped to a knee, shouldering his C9 while Jack took aim where he stood.

"What the Hell was that?" Owens scanned the forest, searching for targets.

"Sounded like a branch. Could just be an animal." Jack glanced over the sight of his weapon, closely watching the trees.

"Have you seen any _friendly_ animals since we got here?"

"Good point." Jack flicked the safety lever to repetition, his weapon now ready to fire.

"Could be RNJR." Owens shrugged.

"Possibly. But why would they be off the path?"

The question was on both their minds.

"Well, whatever it is, doesn't matter. We can't stay here, we're sitting ducks." Owens got to his feet, still aiming the light machine gun into the woods. "We've got to find RNJR. Sooner we do that, the sooner we can bug outta here."

"What's the plan?"

"Keep your eyes peeled and weapon raised. You watch the front, I'll watch the back Let's move.."

"Got it." Jack pivoted, now leading the fireteam away from their previous position.

The feeling of being watched was no longer exclusive to Jack, as Corporal Owens could feel eyes all around them, watching their every move. While both men had been tempted to fire off warning rounds in every direction to ward off their stalker, it would likely attract Grimm.

"Screw this place." Sam mumbled, barely audible.

Jack barely heard Corporal Owens, his attention fixated on his forward arcs. His eyes darted from side to side while the two troopers slowly progressed through the woods. Soon enough, the rather irregular trail seemed to straighten out. Immediately after the trail displayed a more linear path through the woods, a stone arch was visible, and just beyond that, what appeared to be small village with primarily wooden buildings stuck out from the trees.

"Hey, we've got a village to my twelve, about a hundred meters away." Jack halted, taking aim with his rifle.

"See anything? Any people?!"

"Nada. RNJR might be in there though. Worth a look."

"Roger that, whenever you're ready, kid."

Just before Jack could wave his hand to signal moving forward, a caw startled him. He raised his rifle and aimed upward into the trees, searching for movement.

That's when he saw it again. A Crow, resting upon a branch. Jack lowered his weapon hesitantly. Sure, it could have been an odd coincidence that he kept seeing a singular crow on patrol after that day on the flight deck.

Or, it was anything _but_ a coincidence.

The animal observed the Canadian soldier for a few moments before turning its head toward the village. Carver did the same.

"Hey, what's the holdup-"

"Moving." Jack waved two fingers, and they began to move again, leaving boot marks in the dirt with every step.

They had not been walking for a minute before their next stop, however. The crunch of paper caught the lead soldiers attention, causing him to stop in his tracks. He looked down to investigate the source.

"What the hell…" Private Carver knelt down, flipping the laminated sheet of paper over to its opposite side.

It was a map. A Canadian map made with the collective data gathered by past Recce patrols with the assistance of RNJR. A valuable resource that should not be discarded under any circumstance. Jack's gaze followed the trail, seeing tracks leading to the village. Upon closer inspection, the village was lifeless...abandoned. He glanced over his shoulder to see if the Crow was still there. It had gone, leaving behind no evidence it had even been there in the first place.

"Oh no…" The young Private mumbled.

"What do you got?" Owens asked, not keeping his eyes off the rear. "Jack? Talk to me, what do you see?"

Jack abruptly broke into a sprint, heading for the village. "Come on!"

"Jack! Wait!" When the Private continued on, Sam grit his teeth and followed. "Damn it!"

The speeding soldier kept his eyes on the ground, following the tracks into the confines of the silent village. Jack entered the village, losing the tracks due to the pavement. The sudden change from dirt to cobblestone flooring made an audible clack whenever Private Carver's Royer combat boots hit the ground. He cursed under his breath and kept his weapon raised while scanning for movement.

" _Where are you?_ " Jack whispered, asking rhetorically.

Owens quickly caught up, just as Jack was clearing the edge of a building. Upon closer inspection, both men could see that almost all of the buildings had been breached from the outside as if rabid animals forced their way into the home to attack the residence. Roofs had been torn off, walls caved in, windows shattered. It looked like the aftermath of a horror movie scene. Despite being wooden and stone, the scene had reminded both soldiers of the Endeavour.

Owens was about to lecture the kid on running off, however, when both men cleared the cover of the building and stepped into the center of the village, both men froze, holding in gasps of shock. They had cleared the corner, stumbling upon a horde of Grimm traveling through the center of the village. Dozens of the creatures moved in sync, pushing through the long-abandoned town.

" _Oh shit!_ " Sam whispered.

Seconds later, both men were dragged back behind the building, being dragged by the drag-handles on the rear of their tactical vests. Jack would've yelled and fought on instinct, but a hand covered his mouth, another restricting his arms and pulling him back.

Both Jack and Sam thrashed violently, reaching for their sidearms to gun down their attackers.

" _Jack, relax! You've gotta be quiet!_ " A familiar, yet faint voice whispered in Jack's ear.

Something about it calmed him to the core. He stopped struggling and tried to turn around, now seeing Jaune subduing Corporal Owens and Ruby subduing him.

" _Did they see us?_ " Jaune whispered, placing his back against the outer wall of the building they used as cover.

Ruby released Jack and slowly shimmied her way to the edge of the wall to peer around it. Still seeing the massive column of Beowolves, Ursai and Creeps alike still marching along as if nothing had happened. Ruby wagered that Jack and Owens went unnoticed.

" _We're good._ " She gave a thumbs up.

"That explains the radio silence…" Sam muttered, looking at the radio set clipped to Jaune's belt given to him by Lieutenant Bryson upon stepping off for their first Recce operation several days ago..

Jaune responded by placing a single finger upon his lips, signaling the man to maintain silence.

Jack slowly made his way to the edge of the building.

" _Where are Nora and Ren?_ " He whispered to Ruby, who was still peeking out from their cover.

She pointed to a building twenty meters to their front, opposite of the clearing the Grimm were currently using as a path. There, Jack could faintly make out the outlines of Ren and Nora, who were hiding in a similar fashion.

" _We got separated when the Grimm showed up. They came out of nowhere...We would've called, but there's too many, they would've heard it._ " Jaune murmured while taking up position next to Jack.

" _So what's the plan?_ " Owens asked, now being mindful of his volume.

" _They're moving away from the village, deeper into the woods. For now...we wait. Way too many of them to fight._ " Ruby said while peeking around the corner.

Jack took a knee and peered out, observing the Grimm horde for himself. His heart was still beating out of his chest. The atmosphere and feeling of believing RNJR to be dead and then stumbling upon a horde was irregular.

 _What are they doing? Where are they going? Why?_ Many questions ran through the troopers mind, and he failed to find his answer just by staring at the horde.

"Private Carver, it's Lieutenant Bryson, check in. Did you locate team RNJR yet?" The loud crackle of Jack's radio echoed off the walls of the abandoned homes and resonated within the empty village. They all cringed and cursed upon realizing.

" _Shit!_ "

" _Shut that off!_ "

Jack immediately placed a hand over his radio, trying to mute it while gritting his teeth and cringing. His thumb and index finger swiftly found their way into his radio pouch and quickly turned the audio dial down, the curious Lieutenant's voice now fading.

The four warriors pressed their bodies against the wall of the building, staying as still as possible to maintain a low profile and diminish noise. As quiet as they tried to be, Jack could practically hear his heart beating out of his chest. Should the horde discover them, they would have little hope of holding out.

During their silence, loud, hulking footsteps could be heard approaching them. Likely an Ursa or something of similar size investigating the source of the noise. Jack slowly reached for his sidearm, almost certain that the Grimm would clear the corner and stumble upon the soldiers and huntsmen. Corporal Owens slowly and as quietly as possible, pressed his body against the dirt, pulling the stock of his C9 into his shoulder and preparing to fire.

Meanwhile, in the corner of his eye, Jack could see Ren taking a knee across the square, still in cover.

" _What is he doing?"_ The Private muttered to himself while observing the ninja-like warrior from afar.

Ren casually placed his palm against the cobblestone ground while staring right back at the soldiers. Moments later, the warrior was engulfed in a magenta glow, radiating off of his skin, much to the surprise of Jack who was watching with his jaw agape. In mere moments, Ruby, Jaune, Owens and Jack found their colourful uniforms and outfits turning a neutral grey. Each warrior took a moment to look over themselves, confused.

Just as they did, a Beowolf Alpha turned the corner, growling as it did. Despite being mere centimeters from Jack and Ruby, it did not seem to notice them. Jack raised his Browning Hi-Power and slowly cocked the slide of the small weapon, loading a 9mm round into the chamber before guiding the slide back to the forward position manually to avoid making the loud clack.

Ruby's hand slowly crept up, placing her palm against the slide of the weapon and gently pushing it down while shaking her head, signaling to Jack not to fire. Hesitantly, Jack complied. He stared intensely at the curious Alpha that was still glancing around, searching for its prey. The creature loitered for a few more moments before snarling in dissatisfaction and turning to rejoin the dissipating horde, which was now disappearing into the woods.

When the Alpha and the horde left, each warrior let out a mass exhale as each had been holding their breath in anticipation.

"Jesus that's cutting it close…" Sam rose to his feet, lifting his C9 off the pavement. The Corporal did not lower his guard, however. He kept his eyes firmly placed on the tree line in case the horde made a swift return.

"There must've been hundreds of them…" Jaune started, panting. "We got lucky."

Amidst the sighs of relief, Jack stayed silent, staring across the square at Ren and Nora, who had slowly left their cover to rejoin the rest of their team. Even from a distance, Jack could see Nora had to help Ren move, pulling his arm over her shoulder.

"What the hell just happened?" The Private asked while noticing the distinct browns, black and green digital camouflage return to its original state, rather than the neutral grey.

"That's Ren's semblance." Ruby watched while Jaune left the cover of the building to help Nora and Ren. "He can essentially mask your emotions to go undetected by Grimm."

" _Incredible_ …" Jack mumbled, still trying to grasp the concept of Aura and Semblance provided to him by RNJR. From what he understood, Ruby could move at unfathomable speeds while Nora could harness electrical energy to make herself more powerful. Now that he knew Ren's semblance, only Jaune's remained a mystery.

"That'll come in handy!" Sam exclaimed.

Nora and Jaune brought the weary huntsmen over and set him down gently against the building.

"Unfortunately, Corporal Owens…" Ren breathed heavily, trying to regain his strength. "I don't believe I can manage more than four people at a time...It's extremely taxing."

"Here, kid." Owens took a knee and handed Ren his canteen. "Rest up."

Jack reached into his radio pouch, retrieving the small black dialed up the volume, hearing the end of another sentence spoken by the worried Lieutenant on the other end.

"-vate Carver! Report, damn it!"

"Sir, It's Carver."

"Thank god...There you are! What the hell happened?"

"Sorry, Sir. Corporal Owens and I stumbled upon a Grimm horde, had to go radio silent for a bit there."

"Grimm Horde? Shit, there must be more of them and be closer than intel suggested...Did you find RNJR, Private? What's your current position?"

Hearing Bryson mention the Grimm Horde being closer than anticipated was off-putting. Were there _even_ more than they'd just seen? Nevertheless, Jack continued the radio conversation.

"Affirmative, Sir. All Huntsmen and Huntresses accounted for. We're holding position in a village about two clicks to your front."

"Acknowledged, Carver. Remain in that village, we'll be posting up there for the night. Get comfortable, we'll be there shortly."

"Copy that, Sir. Ready and waiting."

With that, the radio found its place back in the Soldier's radio pouch. He walked over to the group as they rested.

"Cavalry's on the way. We'll be setting up here for the night, so take er' easy guys." Jack informed the resting group who had all been drinking water to stay hydrated. "I'll take the first watch." Jack slung his rifle and turned to walk away, only to be stopped by Owens.

"Kid, drink some water okay? And don't go too far."

"Oh, right…" Since taking a break at the river, Jack had not taken a single drop of water. It was a trivial mistake to not hydrate, but the nature of their situation plus the recent exposure to the Horde, hydration was the last thing on the soldier's mind. Jack took a knee where he stood and reached for his canteen.

Jack twisted the lid and tilted the plastic canteen back, expecting a flood of fluid to cool him instantly. However, he was only met with a single drop landing on his parched tongue.

"...You've gotta be _shitting_ me…" The annoyed Infantry soldier stuffed the canteen back into its carry pouch before exhaling.

"Hey, catch!" Ruby tossed her water bottle to Jack, who caught it swiftly. "Save some water for yourself next time, okay?"

"Yeah with pleasure! If Grimm don't kill me, dehydration will." The trooper chuckled before taking a few quick sips

Ruby's brow furrowed with Jack's last comment. For someone who seemed okay on the outside, she reckoned Jack was struggling to cope with the whole situation on the inside and simply hid his discomfort from everyone else. Eager to see the Soldier well, she flashed him a smile, one which he instantly returned.

"Hey, Jack. Take someone with you, work in pairs, remember?" Owens interrupted their stare down.

It was a common place to work in pairs or fireteams to ensure the safety of the soldiers who ventured away from the main body.

"I'll go with him." Jaune clutched Crocea Mors in its sheath form and rose to his feet.

"Rog. Need anything, just holler." Owens finished before handing his canteen to the exhausted Ren.

Jack and Jaune patrolled the outskirts of the abandoned village silently while waiting for the LAV and remainder of the Platoon to arrive. Jack would occasionally gaze into the odd building, unsure exactly what he was looking for. Anything of interest perhaps.

"How many people lived here do you think?" The soldier was the one to break the silence between the two men.

"Couple dozen, maybe? Not sure. No way to know now." The Huntsman kept his eyes away from the buildings, trying not to think about the current status of the prior inhabitants.

Private Carver noticed the dismissive attitude regarding the village. Jack recalled what little details were given to him about the supposed battle of beacon that took place a couple months prior to his arrival with RCR. From what the soldier understood, one of the many casualties sustained during the battle was a member of Jaune's team. One that Nora and Ren had also been a part of. Ruby explained how close the team was and how much it changed the warrior afterward. Understandable to say the least.

"So…" Jack stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Puzzled, Jaune stopped. "For what?"

"Ruby told me what happened at Beacon. I won't pretend to know what it's like to lose someone you care about."

Jaune's neutral face fell to a downcast expression. "You're coming outta the blue with this, Jack..."

"What was her name?" Jack asked, perhaps too invasive for his own good.

The roar of an engine cut Jaune off just as he went to speak. Several soldiers clad in CADPAT slowly and methodically stormed into the village, rifles raised with the LAV III not far behind. Jaune stood silently for a few moments, exchanging a glance with Private Carver.

"C'mon. Let's see what your boss has to say."

Carver watched the Huntsman hastily walk away, hiding amongst the soldiers and his team.

"Nice, Jack. Real subtle." Jack murmured, annoyed with himself.

With a sigh, Carver gripped his rifle and jogged over to the Platoon, looking to make contact with Lieutenant Bryson. Thankfully, Bryson was already on his way out of the LAV, observing the village as he did. Both Corporal Owens and Private Carver took their rightful place amongst the rest of 2 Section while waiting for direction from the weary Lieutenant.

The LAV stopped just beyond the gate of the village, grinding to a halt on the cobblestone path. The 25mm turret rotated, the gunner surveying the desolated town for any hostile activity while the foot soldiers established a perimeter.

"Sam, why weren't you on the radio? What the hell happened?" Master Corporal Farren soon noticed the return of the two troopers.

"Would you believe me if I said Carver and I went on a _lovely_ stroll?"

The Master Corporal shot the soldier a dirty glance.

"Didn't think so." Owens shrugged. "Had a Grimm horde come through the village. They're long gone and don't think they'll return, but I wouldn't get my hopes up in this place."

Farren sighed. "Did you at least manage to find RNJR?"

"Yeah. Over there, hard to miss the bright colours, boss."

"Roger. Good work you two."

Bryson moved to the front of the Platoon, observing the ground ahead for himself.

"Alright troops, adopt defensive posture around the village. Don't go too far! Set up a command post in that structure directly to our front!" Bryson pointed to the building that Jack and company had used as cover from the horde. It was the least dilapidated of the dozen buildings. "Section commanders to me, have your 2IC's take over in your stead!"

"Alright, Sam. 2 Section's yours. Get to the top floor and establish overwatch." Farren pat his second in command on the shoulder before quickly catching up to the Lieutenant along with the other section commanders of the Platoon.

"Hmph." Sam grunted. "Come on 2! Jack, you're my 2IC until the boss gets back! Take half the section plus Ruby and Jaune to secure the upper floor. I'll take the second floor while the others take ground floor. Let's move it!"

Jack felt uncomfortable being second in command, even if it was only temporary. Nonetheless, he rushed in to complete the task given to him by the acting section commander. He darted over to the resting team RNJR. He found a way to get his troops moving.

"Hey Ruby, Jaune! We're moving to secure top floor, first one to the top gets the sports drink from my IMP!"

"DONE!" Ruby shot to her feet while grabbing Crescent Rose. The other soldiers also sprung to their feet, eager to join in on the bounty.

Jack and Ruby raced into the building weapons drawn in case there were any lingering Grimm while the rest of the team struggled to keep up with their pace. The two warriors shoved past each other, trying to be the first to climb the stairs and provide overwatch for the Platoon. Their boots stomped on the unstable wooden stairs. Ruby's unmatched speed left Jack in the dust, however. The girl stood triumphantly on the top floor with a smirk on her face, her arms crossed while waiting for the loser to arrive. Soon enough, a panting Jack and half the section reached the top floor.

"I'll be taking that sports drink, hot-shot!" The scythe wielder winked at the defeated soldier.

"Fine... _Show off_ …" Jack scoffed. "The moment we set up for the night, I'll crack open the IMP."

"I'm holding you to that!"

Jack stomped his boot against the wooden floor, alerting the team below him. "Hey, Owens! Top floor clear!"

"Got it!" A muffled shout resonated up the staircase.

"Alright guys, let's get some arcs set up. How many windows we got?" Jack looked around the attic of the home, seeing four. "Okay. Ruby, watch the six o'clock. Jerome, bud cover the nine o'clock. I'll cover the three. Price, you've got our second C9, go ahead and cover the twelve."

Each individual took up position, pushing the windows open and guiding their barrels through the openings to get a clear shot.

"Get comfortable, gotta feeling we'll be here for a while…"

 **SEVERAL HOURS LATER  
EARTH TIME - 2230**

The remainder of the day had been uneventful as expected. It mainly consisted of meetings between the section commanders and the platoon commander regarding 'what if' scenarios, what the findings of the day had been with Doctor Grove and what the course of action would be upon reveille at 0600. Waking up at 0600 would give the platoon ample time to pack up and make their way back towards the Brock all while giving Grove a chance to still ogle over the environment.

In the meantime, a guard shift schedule was made, rules of engagement established, red lights given out to the guards to pass on, sleeping kit had been set up and the order to eat something and go to ground for the night had been given.

Corporal Ross manned the C9 guarding the twelve, ensuring that at all times, a C9, a vital piece of firepower, was still being operated by a guard. Two other soldiers patrolled the exterior of the building while the remainder of the platoon slept, rather uneasily.

"... _ugh...I'm so bored_ …" Ruby moaned and sat up out of her sleeping bag before taking a sip of the half-finished sports drink from Jack's IMP.

Jack chuckled. "Mhm. I know you are, could hear you mumbling."

"You're still up?" Ruby asked, puzzled.

Jack nodded. He held his journal and a pen in his hands, scribbling various doodles upon a fresh page while kicking his boots together. The Canadian had barely dressed down, opting to only remove his combat gear and shirt to regulate his temperature.

"I thought you'd be sleeping like the dead after all that walking!"

"Yeah well between the heat, the red lights of all the guards changing shift, the voices of the section commanders downstairs, couldn't really fall asleep."

"Heh, not me! I passed out the moment we got the chance. Pretty hungry now though…" The Huntress finished the sports drink, making it clear she wanted more of the IMP.

"Here, eat a snickers." Jack reached into his ration pack while keeping his eyes on the page. He tossed a candy bar over to Ruby, who instantly tore open the packaging to get to the chocolate bar. "You're not _you_ when you're hungry."

"Huh?" Ruby looked up from the snickers, an eyebrow raised. She failed to see Jack's reference, which he should have expected.

"Nothing." Jack chuckled.

After some time of silence, Jack sighed before shutting the journal and stuffing it into his cargo pocket. He crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling. "Guess I'm just a little stressed too."

"What's wrong?"

"We're stuck here and probably nobody knows that. Everyone's just going about their business waiting for us to come home. Not to mention the shit-show we've stumbled into."

"You're gonna get home, Jack-"

"I know." Jack nodded, staying positive. "I just hope it's sooner rather than later, y'know?" He forced out a laugh. "I'd just like to spend a bit more time with my family. If I knew I was gonna be stuck somewhere for a while in hostile conditions, I wouldn't have taken my time for granted."

"If there's something bothering you, Jack, you can tell me."

Jack stood up and put his shirt on before equipping his body armour, helmet, and tactical vest.

"Just tired, but not 'sleepy tired' if you know what I mean." The soldier strapped his holster to his leg before lifting his rifle off of the floor and feeding a magazine into it. "I'm gonna walk around and get some fresh air. I'll be back in a bit."

"I'll go with you, you shouldn't go out alone."

"It's okay, I'm gonna link up with the guard shift. You just get some rest."

Carver slung his rifle and stuffed his hands into his pockets while heading for the staircase at the opposite end of the dilapidated building. Ruby watched him disappear into the darkness of the lower floor before reaching for Crescent Rose.

"Let him go, Red." Corporal Ross muttered just loud enough for the Huntress to hear. The Combat Medic manned the C9, resting his cheek against the stock of the machine gun, looking extremely tired and particularly bored. "He's gotta do what he's gotta do."

 **ABANDONED VILLAGE  
PTE CARVER  
**

Jack stepped out of the shambled structure, being instantly hit with a wave of humidity. He took a deep breath before leaning against the house with a hand over his face.

"Hey, there you are, it's about time, we've been out here for like two hour-...wait. You're not Lennox!"

Jack looked up, seeing two men approach him. The agitated soldier, a Corporal, shone his red light on Carver.

"Uh...no, I'm Carver."

"Where the hell is Lennox?"

Jack knew he didn't have a guard shift, and yet he was out there, likely messing with the schedule. Whoever Lennox was, he obviously missed his timing and was likely still enjoying some sleep.

"He...uhh...didn't look so good...so I took his shift." Jack mumbled, knowing full well it was unlikely that the Corporal would take his bullshit as an accurate response.

"Alright." The Soldier shrugged, too tired to care.

"You go ahead, Harris. I'm not tired." The second man, still hidden by the glare of the light, said.

"Suit yourself kid, just be sure to get at least _some_ sleep before we head out tomorrow."

Corporal Harris shut off his red light and stepped into the building with a yawn.

"So, Lennox is sick is he?" Without the glare of the light, Jack could see that the second figure was Jaune.

"Deathly." Jack added sarcastically.

Jaune shrugged and beckoned the soldier to follow as they still had to patrol the perimeter of the temporary Platoon shelter.

"Did you come out to ask more questions? Maybe get me to open up a bit more?" Jaune asked, a tinge of humour in his tone.

"Well, no." Jack said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Then why are you still awake?"

"I was bored."

"Right."

"I get the strange feeling you don't particularly like us, Jaune." The sarcasm lingered in Jack's words.

"Never said I didn't like you. Then again, never said I trusted you either. Don't take it personally, I'm making it a habit not to trust anyone too much with the exception of my team."

"Fair enough, a guy's gotta have his limits. Care to enlighten me as to why?"

Jaune chuckled, crossing his arms. "And there you go again. Why do you wanna know? Why keep persisting?"

"Come on, man. You're telling me when a soldier and his buds get transported to another world, you don't expect him to ask questions? Quite frankly I'm surprised about the lack of questions _you've_ been asking _us_."

"...Touche." Jaune sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and his thumb. "Alright, fine. What do you wanna know?"

"Sheesh, you make it out like I'm an Intelligence Officer interrogating you. Sue me for wanting to meet new people and befriend them."

Jaune paused, taking a moment to analyze his own behaviour. He did come across perhaps _too_ defensive.

"Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it." Jack pat the Warrior's shoulder before walking ahead, taking hold of his rifle to properly continue the perimeter search. The Infantry soldier decided not to pursue the conversation.

"Pyrrha."

Jack halted, cocking an eyebrow. "What?"

"Her name. Her name was Pyrrha."

Regardless of how dark it was, Jack didn't need light to see the pain that came to Jaune's face after simply saying her name.

"As far as we know, or at least what Ruby saw, the killer was an individual who had posed as a student participating in the Vytal Festival Tournament. So were her accomplices."

Carver could see why the entirety of RNJR, Jaune especially, would be reluctant or at least hesitant to trust strangers. Especially those with an outlandish story. Beacon had been infiltrated during a Festival held out of good faith and unity, and they were attacked for it. It seemed to Jack that terrorism was the same on both Remnant and back home.

"Is that why you're out here?"

"No Government or Military power that we know of is acting. We have to stop them before it can happen _can't_ happen again."

"My dad always said that once you piss off your enemy, they're totally invested in bringing you down. It would seem whoever attacked Beacon _severely_ pissed you off. Their days are numbered I'm sure."

"Let's hope."

"Well, if things go as planned and if we have it my way; we'll find a way out and for your help, we'll take these bastards down a peg."

The soldier was perhaps too overconfident in the level of involvement the Captain and the Lieutenant-Colonel were willing to offer, but it was to be attributed to his youth and eagerness.

"I hope you're ready for a fight."

"I'm always ready for a fight." Jack smirked before turning his back to continue the patrol. "By the way, for what it's worth. I may not have met her, but from what I've seen, she'd be proud of you."

"...Thank yo-"

 _ **SNAP**_

The snap of a twig sprung Jack into action. The soldier immediately drew his sidearm and cocked the slide, readying the weapon. Jaune drew his blade from its sheath and observed the origin of the sound; the treeline.

"I heard it too."

Jack remained silent, his eyes scanning the treeline for movement. The same feeling of being watched returned to the soldier once again. He slowly stuffed the sidearm away and lifted his rifle, sliding his hand forward along the handguard, reaching for the tactical light on the end.

"Get ready." Jack finally muttered.

"For _what_?" Jaune asked, equally as quiet.

"Something's out there, watching us. I get the feeling they've been watching us for hours. The moment we figure out what it is, I want you to get the Platoon commander and whoever else and tell them it's time for us to bug the hell out of here."

"And what are you gonna do?"

"Catch em' obviously."

"That sounds like an incredibly bad idea, Jack."

"Trust me."

The concept of trust caused Jaune to pause and think for a few moments that seemed like minutes, considering all the variables.

"Alright, don't go too far."

Jack nodded and quickly pressed the switch on the tactical light with his thumb, immediately flooding the dark tree line in white light. The very moment the flashlight's illumination contacted the tree line, Jaune spun on his heel and made a dash for the command post.

Jack's torch cast many shadows in the forest. What caught his attention, however, was the outline of a humanoid figure. The soldier wanted to be wrong, hoping the sound he heard was just an animal. But, the figure staring back at him with a posture of equal shock at being discovered proved that he was correct.

" _Damn it_!" The figure hissed before turning tail to run.

"Hey! Stop!" Jack extended his hand out, giving the universal signal to halt.

The figure grabbed something from their waist belt. Moments later, a muzzle flash lit up the night.

 _ **CRACK**_

The snap of the round harassed Jack's ears as it whizzed just past the Soldier's head.

" _Holy shit!_ " Jack shouldered his rifle and squeezed the trigger several times, sending three bullets right back at the observer.

" **CONTACT!** "

Shouting and shuffling could be heard from the CP, obviously a reaction to the sudden fire. Jack kept firing into the woods before changing magazines and pursuing. Branches slashed the Soldier as he pushed deeper into the woods.

" _I can't believe he shot at me!_ "

He fired a few more shots into the darkness before realizing he was venturing too far into the forest and was at risk of repeating the night of their arrival. Carver scoffed and lifted his C7 to eye level, using the Elcan optical sight to search for the fleeing hostile. Nothing but darkness.

"...Son of a bitch…" Jack grunted before changing course back towards the CP. As he turned, his boot made contact with something in the dirt.

He knelt on the ground, picking up the inorganic item in the dirt. Jack shone his light on it, revealing it to be some sort of grey mask. Jack felt a chill travel down his spine as he found the resemblance between the mask and the face plates of many of the Grimm they had encountered.

"Why can't anything _not_ be creepy in this place…?" The young man squinted, observing the details of the mask before stuffing it into his cargo pocket. Maybe RNJR would know something about it.

"Carver!"

Jack looked up, hearing his name shouted by several people. He knew he was in for an earful upon his return. He groaned and jogged back to the CP, emerging from the tree line.

"Friendly, check fire!" He walked out with his hands in the air.

Several half dressed soldiers pointed their rifles in every direction, adopting a defensive posture around the perimeter.

"Jack! What's going on?" Ruby cocked the charging handle on Crescent Rose, observing the tree line the somewhat dazed soldier emerged from.

" _Son of a bitch shot at me!_ "

"CARVER." Master Corporal Farren approached, slamming a magazine into his C8 Carbine. "What the hell is going on out here?! What the hell were you shooting at?"

"I was patrolling the perimeter with Jaune, Master Corporal! We heard a sound and investigated. We were being watched, no idea for how long."

"So you shot at them!? Do you realize the magnitude of what you just did?"

"With all due respect, Master Corporal, I followed SOP. I was shot at and returned fire! It was self-defence."

"Then you decided to run off into the woods, again?"

"Was I supposed to let them get away? They were watching us! They're gathering information. It was too risky. I tried to get them to stop and then they shot at us! So I sent Jaune back to warn you all." Jack got a little too defensive.

Farren turned to see Jaune and several more soldiers sprinting out of the temporary shelter. His sword was still drawn, unaware that hostilities had ended...for the moment.

"Damn it, Jack, you're not making my life easier out here…" Farren mumbled. "Alright, forget about it. It happened, you made a judgment call in the heat of the moment, doesn't matter now."

Jack grit his teeth, failing to see the error of his action.

Soon enough, Lieutenant Bryson came darting out of the building, doing up the chin strap of his helmet.

"Farren, report!"

"A local opened fire on the watch team."

"Watch team, present!" Bryson shouted.

"Sir!" Jack raised his hand. Jaune followed suit.

"Any reason why?"

"Don't know, Sir." Jack shrugged. "The guy practically crapped his pants when we saw him and darted off after firing a couple shots at us. He dropped this though." Jack presented the mask to the Lieutenant.

"Crap…" Nora, who had joined Ruby in securing the perimeter caught a glance at the mask in Jack's grasp.

"...Any idea what it is?" Bryson handed the mask to the Huntress.

"We know exactly what that is…" Ruby peered over Nora's shoulder. Their tone was frighteningly cryptic.

"Lieutenant Bryson," Jaune started. "We need to leave. Now."

"For what reason?"

"Whoever that was, he has friends. Lots of _dangerous_ friends. This position is compromised."

"If they want a fight, we'll give them one." Jerome cocked his C7. "No one interrupts my sleep and gets away with it!"

Paul Bryson stared at Jaune, pondering his options. Unknown territory, unknown enemy, unknown amounts of enemy forces that may know the terrain and have the element of surprise in the night. It was pointless.

"MOUNT UP!" The Lieutenant yelled. "GRAB YOUR GEAR, WE'RE BUGGING OUT TO THE BROCK!"

"You're making the right call, Lieutenant." Jaune added.

"I want a full explanation on what we're dealing with once we're in the LAV, Jaune."

"You got it."

The position was collapsed in less than ten minutes. The Platoon gathered it's gear and quickly departed, using the cover of night to return to the Brock. It'd still be several hours before they were even close to the beachhead, but it gave them a head start. Whether or not traveling at night was safe or not was up for debate, however.

"Please don't tell me you just declared war on the only other people we've discovered so far, kid." Sam sighed while walking with the young soldier far ahead of the LAV.

"I hope not." Jack groaned, realizing the possible negative outcomes of his actions.

"Jack made the right call. If he didn't oust that scout, who knows what would've happened." Ruby spoke abruptly from the front of the group. She had been on point, leading the platoon through the night.

"You seem pretty certain of that." Owens inquired.

"They aren't interested in making peace." Ren mumbled. The Huntsman had been silent throughout the night.

"And who might _they_ be?"

"A terrorist organization known as the White Fang. A crucial element in the fall of Beacon."

"Great. Seems like the Grimm isn't the only threat we're gonna have to deal with…" Jerome muttered.

"What else can you tell us about em'?" Owens asked.

Jack remained mostly silent throughout the conversation, realizing that this whole ordeal just got a whole lot more complicated…

 **SEVERAL HOURS AND KILOMETERS LATER**

After several hours on foot, the Platoon finally reached the Forward Operating Base on the beach. The men left the LAV's under the guidance of the Vehicle techs and Engineers while boarding Griffon's that would take them back to the Isaac Brock. 2 Section boarded the next chopper after 1 Section and waited impatiently to arrive back on the ship.

The Griffon landed slowly on the flight deck as Jack looked out at the horizon, the sun was beginning to rise ever so slightly and light started to cut through the dark and the clouds. Jack collected his rifle and gear and exited the chopper, followed suit by Owens and Jerome.

"Man after the day we've had, I'm actually looking forward to sleeping in bunks, no matter how small." Jerome took his C7 with one hand to redistribute weight.

"I hear you, I need food and a shower." Jack responded in agreement

The trio made their way to the Brocks Island where they could enter the ship. As they did, jack noticed the Captain, standing off to the side with his arms crossed. He was waiting for someone. Bryson peeled off from the group and saluted the Captain, also getting one in return.

"Beautiful day, wouldn't you say Lieutenant?" The Captain's tone was noticeably sarcastic. Dietz feared something like this would happen, 1st Platoon had obviously pissed _someone_ off.

"Yes sir, I believe it will be." Bryson kept a calm tone, waiting to see the senior officers intent.

Dietz checked his watch and looked back up at the lieutenant

"It's five o'clock, which means you've kept your promise; back before midday."

"I always do, sir."

"Get your men cleaned up and fed, I want them well rested and ready to go this time tomorrow. They deserve a day's rest after all they've been through. But first, Reid and I have some questions for you."

"Of course, Sir."

Dietz and Bryson proceed to the gangway to one of the ship's starboard entrances. Once they were down the stairs, they were out of sight. Jack was the last to enter and placed his rifle in the rack next to the door. He followed his fellow soldiers to the mess hall.

As they took their seats, some men from the night shift joined them as well, Shots were thrown at each of their branches, spirited rivalry between the Navy and Army. Once the last of 1st platoon entered the mess and joined in, the Navy guys quietly slouched in their seats and surrendered. Once the men had settled down, the cooks had finished preparing breakfast and the men were quick to their seats. The cooks had prepared a sizeable selection of bacon and eggs, with reserve hash browns coming from the officer's mess courtesy of the Captain. The men stayed long after their meal was complete as they exchanged war stories, Jack stayed quiet, not having many stories to tell but corrected the record as to how he got split from his Platoon. It almost felt like Jack was back home. Despite the familiar feeling, Jack couldn't eat.

"Hey man, what's the issue? Eat your grub before I snag some!" Owens teased.

"I'm not hungry, go ahead." Jack pushed the plate away.

"You alright?"

"...Did I mess up?"

"I'm a Corporal, kiddo. I'm not exactly paid to think about the big picture, and neither are you. So don't worry about it right now. But if it makes you feel better, I would've done the same."

Jack stared at the table top in the mess hall, as if staring long enough would provide the answers for all his problems.

 **EAST COAST OF VALE, REMNANT  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **THAT EVENING  
** **EARTH TIME- 17:45**

 **1** **ST** **BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
** **BATTALION COMMANDER  
** **LT COL. REID**

The corridors of the Brock were dimly lit with caged red tinted lights attached to the tops of the hallways. The ship was silent, only the light humming of the engines echoed through the ship as it rocked from side to side. From time to time a sailor or a soldier would pass and come to attention before continuing with their task. The halls were not as busy as they were the day they left, Dietz and Reid felt comfortable taking the men off alert and leaving a skeleton crew to man ship in the evening. It was the first few days of peace and rest the men had received since their arrival. Reid scanned the bulkheads and staterooms, searching desperately for the Captain's quarters.

"The Americans made a damn good ship, but did they need to make navigating in it so difficult?"

After a few more minutes of losing his way, he found the correct room. As he approached Dietz' stateroom he removed his beret and readjusted his uniform before knocking.

"Enter." Dietz' tone was neutral and, to Reid, seemed distant.

Reid opened the door slowly and after a quick glance was surprised about the state of the room. Dietz' stateroom was pitch black with only a small light illuminating a desk in the corner of the room. Ried noticed the bed at the far end of the room had been made with precision. So much so that either Dietz was very particular about making his bed or he hadn't slept in it since they arrived. Ried was inclined to believe the latter. The Colonel approached the desk and placed his hand on Dietz' shoulder, taking a look at what the Commander was reading.

"That Bryson's after action report?" Reid inquired

"Yeah, detailed and descriptive just as I expected." Dietz turned the page, reading the attached field notes.

"We already went over it with him, what's caught your eye?"

"This individual that was watching them last night. I've got a bad feeling about it."

"Perhaps it was just a concerned civilian. A farmer maybe. Got scared when Carver interacted with him and opened fire. Tell me that kind of stuff doesn't happen back home."

Dietz spun around his chair around to face Reid, placing the dossier on his desk.

"Who he is doesn't concern me, who he _tells_ , does. It's a major security threat. And according to this report, RNJR has Bryson convinced this is a bigger threat. It would seem that Private Carver has once again thrust himself onto the center stage of this expedition."

Ried looked around, spotting a fold out chair behind the stateroom door. Reid placed it down and took a seat, leaning forward to face Dietz.

"Whatever the case may be, we've got this place locked down. We have the largest ship in the whole fleet and a battalion of Canada's finest. Whoever that bastard is, he doesn't stand a chance and neither do his friends."

Dietz smirked, he knew what Reid was saying made sense. Every conceivable security precaution was in place and RCR was more than prepared to repel a possible attack on the beach or the Brock. However, prepared and capable were two different things.

Dietz sighed. "Your confidence on the matter is contagious."

Reid gave a smirk in return, laying back in his chair.

"One of my better qualities. Now, let's discuss this business with Ruby and her team."

"And here I thought you came down here to say hi, Colonel."

"Look, I know you've given your piece on the subject but after today's events I think we should reconsider."

"You're nothing if not persistent, why the sudden change of heart?"

"I trust them. They've saved our asses more times than we've asked for and last night was no exception. Private Craver probably wouldn't be here if not for them, I'd like to return the favor that's all. I know you have some concerns…"

"Look, it not that I don't trust them, I do. But flying a Griffon that far out without the possibility of a timely response, that's risky. Plus I'm not quite sure we're ready to send them off just yet. We've had _no_ success establishing any sort of relationship with local life other than chucking 5.56 at Grimm everytime we come across them. And if last night is any indication, we're already unpopular with the locals."

"If we could send out more Recce patrols, RNJR is certain we'll come across settlements soon enough."

"We can't afford the men or resources to mass deploy. For now, Bryson and his men are all we've got."

"What if I sent a team with RNJR? Scout-out ahead of the main body? Maybe there's more out there and we're just in a bad spot."

"Let me guess, 2 section, 1st Platoon, Bravo Company? Headed up by Farren, with Private Carver not so far behind?"

"They have experience in the field and Grove has harvested every conceivable specimen from the surrounding area. Who knows, we may get something in return."

"What about fuel, flying to another continent is sure to take a hit on our fuel reserves. Also, we only have the maps provided to us by RNJR so navigation will be shoddy at best, plus we're still heavily in the dark when it comes to the landscape."

"The Endeavour had a helicopter."

"Yes, _had_ is they key word. And so what? Grove said they lost it before the Grimm attacked."

"Last time we were aboard, we were only looking for ship fuel. The ships bound to have some aviation fuel left over."

"After the fireworks show last time? I doubt it, fuel and fire don't exactly mix well."

"What about the lost chopper, it's bound to have fuel left over. "

Dietz sat in silence for a few seconds contemplating the operation. Grove had noted that the Sea King crash landed and that a rescue team was sent and returned with the Grimm right behind them. For all he knew, they found the helicopter but were unable to reach it.

"Alright, I'll bite. You send a team to find that lost Sea King and get its fuel and black box, and I'll get Ms. Rose and her team on the next flight out."

"You're serious?"

"Scouts honour." Dietz had his three fingers raised, making the scouts sign.

A smile grew on Reid's face and clapped his hands together in excitement.

"Let's go find us a Helicopter!" Reid exclaimed

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **DECK 5 BERTHING  
** **THE NEXT MORNING  
** **EARTH TIME- 01:12**

 **1** **ST** **BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1** **ST** **PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

For the first time since hearing about his deployment, Jack slept comfortably in his rack. It was tiny, barely enough space for him to move. Most berthings were like that though, a couple centimeters to his left was a cold metal wall and on his right was a thin blue privacy curtain. Despite the size of the beds, the rooms were quite sizeable. 60 beds in a berth with a bathroom and satellite tv, however without satellites to communicate with, the tv lay dormant. Jack was only woken up once. A Private from 3 section had set an alarm and when it went off, the night shift proceeded to give him an earful. Navy life was different, but Jack was trained to adapt. The slight rocking of the boat and the dim hum of the ship's engine bothered him at first, but their effects quickly dissipated. A couple hours after the Private left, Jack awoke to someone pulling his leg.

"Yo, Jack. Wake up." A mixture of fatigue and disorientation made Jack give a light moan in response. This was answered by a swift smack to Jack's forehead. "C'mon princess if I have to wake up, so do you." Jack came to realize it was Jerome attempting to rouse the trooper.

"What's the matter, It can't be five o'clock already." Jack rubbed his eyes as he gained his bearings

"No, but Farren wanted us up and on the flight deck, I have no idea why."

"Fine." Jack slowly rose from his pillow and moved for the foot of the bed. He was on the second rack of three that were stacked like bunk beds. There were other guys up as well, some were putting on maintenance jumpsuits and the others were wearing CADPAT like Jack. As he retrieved his tunic from the storage compartment under his bed, he noticed Owens getting out of the bathroom.

"I miss regular plumbing…" grumbling as he approached Jacks bunk, patting Jerome on the back.

"Do either of you guys know how to get to the flight deck? Didn't really take in the surroundings when we first got here." Jack asked, buttoning his tunic

"Not a damn clue. Last night I tried to find the mess hall, ended up in postage." Jerome crossed his arms and leaned on Jack's bunk. The maintenance team at the end of the room chuckled. One of them broke off from the group and approached the soldiers.

"First cruise on a carrier, gentlemen?" The seaman had grease stains on his face and in his jumpsuit

"Is it that obvious?" Jack asked. The man chuckled slightly.

"Heres some free advice. Crossing from port to starboard or starboard to port isn't as simple as going straight across. Sometimes you need to go up one deck and down another, or down one and up another. Maybe even two. I bet you've noticed the numbers are stenciled on the bulkhead. Well, the first number tells you the deck number, the second the hull support frame, numbered sequentially from the bow. The third is the compartments position in relation to the ship's centerline. You'll find odd numbers are starboard, even numbers are port. The fourth and final part is a letter that tells you what the space is used for."

All three soldiers stood perplexed. They looked at each other quickly before turning their attention back to the man.

"And that's why I didn't join the navy." Owens grabbed his empty canteen from his rack and left the room.

"Sorry about him, woke up on the wrong side of the bed, if there even is a _right_ side." Jack noticed the man's name tape was covered in the grease he noticed earlier. It was covered, but after closer examination, Jack saw that it read 'Scott'

"Don't mention it. First full night of sleep on a carrier is the worst. Take it from me. You boys take care."

"Likewise…?"

"Lieutenant Richard Scott, Chief engineer of this ship."

"Shit." Jerome remarked. Jack and Jerome snapped to attention as quickly as possible.

"At ease boys, I'm not the Captain. We're all equals below deck." Scott returned a salute to the two young soldiers.

"Apologies sir, we didn't see your rank under your jumpsuit."

"Like I said, we're all equals here. You boys ever need to place to kick back, come join us down in Queenston."

"Queenston, sir?" Jack inquired

"That's what we call engineering. Real nice place if you can ignore the noise. One of your Huntresses, Nora I believe, already took us up on the offer. Not even my loudest engineers can compare." The chief engineer laughed.

"Thank you, Sir, we might just do that."

"Glad to hear it. The flight deck is accessible from the bridge island, five decks up. Head down the corridor on your left and keep going until you find the stairs, go up three flights and turn right there'll be a service ladder. Use it, it'll save you some trouble."

"What if we get caught?"

"Son, it's one o'clock in the morning, no one's going to care enough. If you get grief, I'll cover for you."

"Thank you, sir, a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, fair winds and following seas to you both."

Jack and Jerome both reached out to shake his hand before grabbing the remainder of their gear and left berthing

"Did you know what he was talking about just then?" Jerome whispered

"Not a clue. Did you see which way Owens went?" Jack responded, looking both ways down the corridor

"Nope."

"MAKE A HOLE!" Jack and Jerome's attention was turned right to end of the corridor. Two men in protective equipment were sprinting down the bulkhead, jumping over knee knockers. The pair hugged the wall and watched them run by. As they passed, they looked as if they were wearing fire protection equipment, hopefully a false alarm.

"Where do you suppose they're off to?"

"Nowhere we want to be. C'mon, this way to the flight deck."

 **SEVERAL MINUTES AND DECKS LATER**

Jack and Jerome approached the service ladder Scott mentioned to them. As far as they could tell, the service ladder stretched from the bottom of the ship to the top of the island, making traversal significantly easier. Jack went up first taking hold of the foremost bar of the ladder, followed suit by Jerome.

"Hey Jack, can I ask you a question?" Jerome's panting was much louder than jacks, separating from his words to catch his breath.

"Sure, shoot." Jack's breath was getting significant heavier the farther he climbed

"That engineer we met just now - Scott."

"Yeah, what about him?"

"You figure people call him Scotty?"

"Like...from Star Trek?"

"Yeah, I think it's funny."

"Maybe, but I know I sure as hell want to be there if you ask."

As Jack neared the top, his eye level met a dark black boot, polished to perfection. So much so he could see himself in the reflection. Jack recognized the brand of unissued boot as the property of Master Corporal Farren.

" _Oh for fu-_ "

"Carver, how nice of you to join us. Ah and Private Lewis, I was hoping you two were together." Jack looked up to find Farren looking down at them. Resting against the wall were two C7 rifles for Jack and Jerome

"For the record, boss, the Chief Engineer told us to take this shortcut."Jack anticipated a lecture from the Master Corporal, his voice becoming quieter as the sentence ended.

"Who, Scotty? Heh, well alright then. Up you come." Farren helped Jack up into the deck as well as Lewis, handing them both a set of ear protection.

"Should we put these on now Master Corporal?" Jack inspected the ear muffs to ensure he could wear them properly.

"Don't bother yet, nothing's taking off or landing. Yet." Farren smirked and picked up his C7 from the pile.

Farren turned the locking mechanism on the bulkhead door leading to the flight deck. It was still night out, and the moon hanging in the sky illuminated the deck quite well. There was a Griffon and the front of the ship and a small group of people huddled around it. The trio started to walk and Jack took mental note of the amount of people around the helicopter, including RNJR. Jack returned a smile the four warriors offered him.

"By the way, Scotty mention anything to you two about Queenston?" Farren inquired.

"Briefly, Master Corporal." Jack responded

"Trust me, boys, not to be missed." Jerome and Jack smiled. Whatever happens in Engineering, stays in Engineering.

As they approached the huddled mass, Jack noticed Lieutenant Commander Kendall and his battalion CO, Lieutenant Colonel Reid as they passed, barely overhearing their conversation.

"I'm sorry to hear about your men, I heard it was hell for them to get to that downed Sea king." Kendall's arms were crossed, seemingly genuine in his concern. Jack heard about that raid from an off-duty sailor in the mess. From what he heard, hell was an understatement. Reid looked down briefly and sighed before responding.

"Unfortunately we met more resistance than intended, but our team secured the necessary fuel and flight recorder as instructed."

"At a cost." Kendall wasn't his normal self. He seemed more serious, more in line with navy doctrine. More like Dietz.

"There always is." Reid put his hand on Kendall's shoulder and thanked him for his concern. Reid briefly spotted Farren behind Kendall's back and addressed them. "Ah, there they are." Reid disengaged from his conversation to greet the trio properly

"Apologies sir, just hunting down some stragglers." Farren slightly turned his head to look the young privates out of the corner of his eye.

"Good, then we can begin. Lieutenant, let's proceed." Reid rejoined the larger crowd, stepping up into a Griffon so he could see his men. Kendall pat Farren on the back before going the Colonel on the Griffon

"Okay, Here's the scoop, listen up. We are conducting our first long range Recce to the neighboring continent of Anima. Ms. Rose and her team will accompany an advanced section of scouts to collect intel on the Grimm and maybe even those creeps spying on 1st Platoon. 2 section, lead by Master Corporal Farren as well as the remainder of 1st Platoon will continue surveying the area and gather much-needed intelligence and cartography updates."

"Excuse me, Lieutenant, may I inquire as to a change to that plan?" Doctor grove revealed himself out of the larger crowd. Jack didn't notice him at first, he wasn't wearing his lab coat as usual.

"In what capacity Doctor?" Kendall inquired

"I would like to go to this new continent with the recon team." Grove was blunt, perhaps he had enough of the 10-kilometer patrols with 1st Platoon.

"Absolutely not doctor, you're too valuable an asset to take along, you'll only slow the recon team."

"Then give me an escort, Private Carver perhaps."

With that revelation, everyone turned to face the young Private, looking as if he had something to do with it. Jack sighed, knowing full well where this was going. He had a habit of being 'voluntold'.

"Doctor, with all due respect to him, Carver is a private and-"

"Highly capable, Sir." Farren finished Kendall's sentence "If you're on board, Sir, I'll vouch for Carver to be the Doctors escort. You never know what he may find out there."

Kendall smirked, Jack finally seeing his old personality show, however briefly.

"Private Carver, step forward." Reid called out.

Jack looked to Farren, looking confused and scared at the same time. The Master Corporal responded with a slight nod of approval. Jack sighed and made his way to the Griffon. As he neared, Reid got down and guided him to the nose of the craft so they could talk privately.

"Alight gents, this'll be awkward enough without all you staring, let's get back to it." Kendall started to list off the duty roster information as Jack and Reid began their talk.

"Sir, I swear I didn't put the doctor up to that, it was all his idea. I-"

"Private, please. I'm not disciplining you. I conversing with you, soldier to soldier."

"Oh...Umm...Huh, I kind of expected a jackin' for that...You've caught me off guard, Sir. Sorry about that."

"Water under the bridge Private. Now, what is your take on this? Are you ready for your own tasking?"

"Honestly sir, I have no idea. It seems every day we're getting more crap piled on us and it all just seems so confusing...So I guess there's your answer, Sir."

"Private, you've done a great deal of work over the past few days, not least of which being the first human to speak with an alien species and on top of that, make friends with them. I think you've earned a right to decline something this outlandish."

"...With all due respect, Sir. I didn't say no."

Reid smirked. "Brave kid."

"Just doing my job to keep us all together, Sir."

"I'd say you've done well. Should this ever be released to public knowledge, you've surely earned your place in Canadian history."

"Not in it for the glory, Sir. I just want to get everyone home and I'm ready to help in whatever capacity."

"Sounds like you've already made up your mind." Reid nodded to the young soldier. "Very well, Private, you'll go with the Recce team. They're a Sniper detachment with extensive recon experience. You'll be tasked with Doctor Grove's protection. There will be ground rules. You may be in a place of authority well above your rank, but you're not paid enough to make judgment calls. Unlike Lieutenant Kendall you don't get to break the rules."

"I like the term 'bend' rather than 'break' Colonel." Kendall approached the two putting one hand on each off their shoulders. "Dust off is in ten Private, you staying or leaving."

"We were just discussing that Lieutenant."

"Don't pass this up, kid. It was over a year before the Captain let me command on my own. At first, I thought it was separation anxiety, but I realized he was testing me. He was waiting for me to make the first move, to show that I was ready to take charge. This is your chance to take the wheel, don't let it slip."

"Alright, I'll do it. Thank you, sir."

"Don't mention it kid, good luck."

Jack came to attention in front of his superiors before going to get his gear.

"I don't believe it was a year. When did he get to sleep if you never relieved him?"

"Only times he left the bridge were in open water when the course was set on the monitor and there was no chance I needed to make a judgment call."

"And he really waited for you to ask?"

"Never asked. We were running anti-pirating in the Horn of Africa when we got a distress call from a civilian ship. They claimed pirates were trailing them in 2 small vessels. When the crew asked for orders, and I gave them. After that, Dietz got up and turned over command until the ordeal was over."

"And, how did it go?"

"Dumb ass pirates ran out of gas before they could catch the ship. Not much for us to do but round them up. After that, Dietz was recalled to Ottawa."

"Why?"

"It's a long-"

A petty officer approached the two officers, seemingly out of breath, Once he stood before the officers, he came to attention

"Lieutenant-Commander, Sir!"

"Yes petty officer, what is it."

"Captain has ordered you to the bridge, asap."

"Yes, thank you petty officer. Tell him I'm on my way."

Jack saw the men shake hands and part ways. In the back of his mind, Jack wondered what they discussed, but the infantry side knew it was above his paygrade.

 **5TH DECK BERTHING  
PTE CARVER**

Jack stared down at his helmet before setting it down with the rest of his gear with a loud groan. He was terrified, curious and excited all at the same time. Curse his need to help.

"Hey, Jack."

Jack looked up towards the door, seeing Ruby and her team.

"Hey, guys." He shot them a smile.

"So, no doubt you've heard that we're going to Anima…Well of course you have, you were at the briefing..." Ruby face palmed and struggled to find words.

Jack looked down at his gear and then up to RNJR, figuring they hadn't received the news that he was going with them quite yet.

"We wanted to say a few things. Thank yous, sorries, and goodbyes." Jaune added.

The other three nodded. Even though it had only been a week, much had happened.

"Right!" Nora added.

"Well, you can save it." Jack smirked. "You can tell me all about how great I am on the flight over…" Jack lifted his helmet from his gear and fit it to his head.

"What?" Ruby's jaw dropped. "...They're letting you come?"

"Must be my star personality!"

"Well…Good." The Huntress smiled.

"This'll be _fun_!" Nora exclaimed.

"Reconnaissance that will aid both our missions? I'd say this is a good next step." Ren added.

"Come on, guys. Let's not miss our flight."

 **FLIGHT DECK**

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Jerome lectured Carver as they made their way to the waiting Griffon.

"Hey, I'll be gone for what, a few days max? Have a little faith, buddy."

"Follow command and trust your instincts and it'll be done in no time." Farren added "And stop doubting the decision you made. There will be plenty more of those in the coming days. Maybe even during this op. Understand?"

"Got it, Master Corporal. I won't let you down."

"Didn't think you would."

Jack double checked the presence of all his necessary gear on his vest before grabbing his C7 and boarding the Griffon. The helicopter was packed, two pilots and ten passengers meant the craft was filled to capacity. Jack sat on one of the seats facing outward as he was the last to board. Jack used his left leg to stabilize himself on the lower rail, keeping his right inside.

"Good luck, Jack." Farren spoke one last sentence to the young infantry soldier before nodding.

RNJR managed to snag the seats next to the Private while the Sniper teams were boarding. Once all their introductions had been made, they all settled down for the coming flight.

"Flight control this is Talon 0-1, requesting clearance."

"Copy Talon 0-1, skies are clear. Dust off on your mark."

As the helicopter took off from the flight deck, Jack had to reposition himself in his seat. He hated sitting on the edge but it was a view. It was still dark, but even as the Brock got smaller in the distance, he could still make out the many flashing lights that spread out across the ship. As time passed, the last light Jack could see atop the Brocks island disappeared into the night. The night air was still cold, nothing comparable to CFB Petawawa back home but still uncomfortable.

For what seemed like hours Jack sat contently, watching the trees zoom by. Ever so often they would pass a lake or a river and jack would see the flashing red, green and white lights on the Griffon. During the night, Nora had tried to play I spy with a few of the snipers to no avail. They preferred to be the silent type of professionals. Jaune and Ren discussed fond memories of their first semester at Beacon academy while Jack and Ruby talked about their common interest in weaponry.

Yet, they had not passed over any significant body of water. As Jack inspected the landscape, he spotted a brief, yet present flash of light. At first, he thought it was the Brock, it was the only thing with lights he'd seen. He was wrong.

"SHIT! Flash!"

Although he did not know who said it, Jack looked frantically until he spotted it. A rocket or some type of AAA sailing through the air. Jack's heart started to race as he braced in his seat.

"Vampire inbound! All hands, brace!" The pilot called out.

The helicopter took a sharp bank to the left and Jack lost sight of the rocket until he saw it pass them as the helicopter finished banking. Jack let out a sigh of relief that was followed by a violent explosion on the tail.

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **CARRIER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER**

The CATCC was practically empty in comparison to normal. Radar intercept officers, as well as an air traffic controller, were the only ones manning the room. A combination of advanced tracking software and a lack of aircraft to track left resources to be dealt elsewhere. The silence was cut by a phone ringing next to the Air Traffic Controller, a petty officer with little experience on an actual warship.

"Go for ATC." The Petty officer used his shoulder to brace the phone, keeping both hands free to start writing a report like a 911 operator.

What the Petty officer heard was static with words barely cutting through the noise. The petty officer changed the frequency adapter get a better signal. This worked, and what the Petty officer heard made him doubt his ears. The petty officers face turned from neutral to alarmed in an instant. He hung up the phone and shot up from his chair, turning to the senior officer.

"Sir emergency broadcast on broadband,"

The officer went to an open terminal and put on a pair of headphones. He to has shocked to hear the broadcast.

"Mayday! Brock Actual, this is Talon 0-1! Taking effective hostile AA fire! I say again, effective hostile AA fire! We have lost control and losing altitude at 1500 feet and dropping!"

The officer dropped the headphones and let them hang by the jack in the monitor. He pulled out a red booklet with the words 'EMERGENCY' printed on the front. The officer quickly turned to look at the petty officer who still stood at his post motionless

"Call the bridge and scramble rescue teams, we have a Griffon down."

* * *

A/N: The plot thickens! Thanks for your patience and for reading. Like we said, we'll work extra hard to prevent another delay of that legnth from happening! Let us know what you thought of the chapter and if you'd rather see more frequent albiet shorter uploads as opposed to this super long chapter legnth.

* * *

 **GLOSSARY OF TERMS**

 _ **REGIMENTS:**_

 **RCR-** The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
 **PPCLI-** Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
 **R22R-** The Royal 22e Régiment, or The Royal 22nd Regiment (Commonly known as: _The Van Doos_ ); the third and final Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army. (We haven't mentioned this Regiment as of this chapter, but we thought it was important to put down).  
 **JTF2-** Joint Task Force 2, Canadian Tier 1 Special Forces.

 _ **STRUCTURE:**_

 **BATTALION-** An organization of rifle companies and a support company. (Usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel)  
 **COMPANY-** An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon. (Usually commanded by a Captain)  
 **PLATOON-** An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment. (Usually commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or full Lieutenant)  
 **SECTION-** A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad") (Usually commanded by a Sergeant or a senior Master Corporal)  
 **FIRE TEAM-** A team of 2 soldiers (Commanded by the most senior member of the fireteam)

 _ **COMMAND:  
**_ **  
IC-** Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)  
 **2IC-** Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)  
 **CM** \- Commissioned Member. A Canadian Forces member who holds a commission from the Queen or reigning Monarch of England. Typically known as "Officers" (2nd Lieutenant and above)  
 **NCM-** Non-Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)

 _ **GEAR:**_

 **CADPAT-** Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc).  
 **COMBAT SHIRT-** A combat shirt is different from the traditional military top. It is a top designed to be worn beneath heavy sweat inducing body armour. The torso is made of a soft, moisture-wicking material similar to that of Under Armour to provide comfort. The arms are made of traditional uniform material and still have the CADPAT camouflage printed on them. (For a visual, search "Cadpat Combat Shirt" on google images).  
 **TAC VEST-** Short for Tactical Vest. Tactical Vests are load bearing equipment that holds useful supplies for soldiers. Specifically ammunition, grenades and medical supplies.  
 **IFAK-** Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest.  
 **FRAG VEST-** The Canadian Forces' Frag Vest is designed to protect against fragmentation, however, has since seen an upgrade featuring slots for ballistic plates to protect the wearer's vital organs from ballistic weapons.  
 **LEVEL 3+ PLATES-** Ballistic plates designed by AR500 Armor, provides significant protection from firearms (slots into the Frag Vest).  
 **MECHANIX M-PACT-** The M-Pact series glove has individual thermoplastic rubber finger guards to protect against blunt force trauma against the hands and fingers as well as reinforced index finger and thumb pieces to increase grip on tools or weaponry.

 _ **INFANTRY WEAPONS:**_

 **C7A2-** Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. Similar platform to the US Armed Forces' M4 and M16 series. 5.56x45mm round.  
 **C8-** Carbine variant of the C7A2. (Shorter barrel length than the full sized C7A2).  
 **C9A2 LMG-** Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249  
 **C6 GPMG-** The C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon, however, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III  
 **BROWNING HI-POWER-** Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however, on deployments, they are issued to common troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power, not 'High' Power oddly enough). Chambered in 9mm.  
 **M203-** Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade.  
 **C-13-** Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.  
 **FOURTY MIKE MIKE-** Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.  
 **THE 9-** Slang for the C9A2 LMG  
 **CARL GUSTAV-** The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti-armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.  
 **M32 MGL-** A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps).

 _ **NON-INFANTRY WEAPONS:  
**_

 **JDAM-** The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground.  
 **MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY-** Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations.  
 **25MM CANNON-** The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"  
 **ARTY-** Short for Artillery.  
 **AA-** Anti-Air

 _ **VEHICLES:**_

 **CF-18-** Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.  
 **MILCOT-** Military Commercial Off the Shelf (Military acquired vehicles)  
 **CH-146 GRIFFON-** The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-use utility helicopter of the Huey family, designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant for the Canadian Armed Forces  
 **CH-148 Cyclone-** The CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations and is intended to replace the venerable CH-124 Sea King, which has been in operation since 1963. Primarily operated by the RCAF  
 **LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT-** The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military.  
 **SEA KING-** The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian Naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces since 1963.  
 **SEA AVENGER-** Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.  
 **LAV-** Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry  
 **RHIB-** Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow  
 **HMCS ALGONQUIN-** Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification.  
 **HMCS BONAVENTURE-** Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy. After a service of 14 years she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.  
 **HMCS ENDEAVOUR-** Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK-** Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed-wing aircraft.  
 **HMCS VICTORIA-** One of four long-range hunter-killer (Sub-Surface Killer) submarines of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia.  
 **USS PENNSYLVANIA-** SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad.

 _ **POLITICAL:  
**_ **  
PM-** Prime Minister of Canada  
 **MND-** Minister of National Defence  
 **CDS-** Chief of the Defence Staff  
 **NATO-** North Atlantic Treaty Organization  
 **J.A.G-** Judge Advocate General. Entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.  
 _ **NAVAL TERMINOLOGY:  
**_ **BOW-** Front of a boat  
 **CIC-** Combat Information Center  
 **CVN-** Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.  
 **CIWS-** (Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome like housing.  
 **C.O-** Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain. Typically the "Captain" has the rank of Commander despite being the "Captain" (Senior Officer) of the vessel. (Confusing, right?)  
 **EMP-** Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range  
 **X.O-** Second in Command of the Vessel. Typically the X.O. holds the rank of Lieutenant-Commander  
 **FANTAIL-** Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel  
 **FLANK SPEED-** Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.  
 **HELM/HELMSMAN-** Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. Helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgement calls on behalf of officers.  
 **HMCS-** Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.  
 **ISLAND TOWER-** The bridge tower on the starboard side of the vessel. Primary entrance and exit for those on the flight deck.  
 **KNOT-** Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.  
 **NAV/ NAVIGATION OFFICER-** Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in chargeof updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control and listening stations.  
 **OOW-** Officer of the Watch. Also acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.  
 **PORT-** Left-hand side of the ship  
 **REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES- **Safety protocols to protect the engines from long term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.  
 **TAO-** (Tee- aee-oh) Tactical Operations Officer who is in charge of coordinating fire control on a naval vessel.  
 **QUIET ORDERS-** Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.  
 **STARBOARD-** Right-hand side of the ship  
 **STERN-** Back of a ship

 _ **BASES:**_

 **CFB PETAWAWA-** Headquarters for 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment.  
 **CFB ESQUIMALT-** Headquarters for the Canadian Pacific Fleet. Located on Victoria Island, British Columbia.  
 **CFB HALIFAX-** Headquarters for the Canadian Atlantic Fleet. Located in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  
 **UNS BASE GUAM-** United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance

 _ **MISC: - *NEW ENTRIES***_

 **DANGER CLOSE-** A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position. Within 500m of the unit in question.  
 **BMQ-** Basic Military Qualification that ALL Canadian Forces members (Regardless of trade they chose) must go through prior to trade training (An Infantry soldier must do BMQ before going on his/her Infantry course)  
 **OPERATION OVERLORD-** The Allied assault on Normandy on June 6th, 1944 during the Second World War. Regarded as the largest amphibious assault in human history  
 **AAR-** After Action Report  
 **CCP-** Casualty Collection Point  
 **FOB-** Forward Operating Base  
 **CONCERTINA WIRE-** Coils of barbed wire  
 **ACK-** Acknowledged  
 **ROG-** Roger  
 **TRIAGE-** Triage is the process of determining the priority of patient treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately.  
 **VSA-** Vital Signs Absent. Reported when an individual has no pulse.  
 **HE-** High Explosive round capable of intense damage.  
 **IMP-** Individual Meal Pack - A ration pack containing heatable food, snacks, and beverages for a single soldier - **_*NEW*  
_** **REVEILLE-** A signal to arise. Often meaning the wake-up call or signal to get up. - **_*NEW*  
_** **SOP-** Short for Standard Operating Procedure. A predetermined method of dealing with certain scenarios. - **_*NEW*_**


	8. And into the Fire

_A/N: Hey everyone. We're back again with Chapter 8. So, we know we said there wouldn't be a delay in uploads, but this was pretty much out of our control for the most part. For a while, I've been without internet, so uploading was a challenge. On top of that, we rewrote a significant portion of this chapter and redid some things in relation to the rest of the story to make it the best we can. I won't promise super swift updates because of the current work and internet situation, but this was far too long, so expect us to pick up the pace._

 _On another note, Listening to feedback and the current consensus is to maintain the length of the chapters rather than pumping out shorter chapters, so we'll continue to run with that for now unless the schedule goes to hell yet again. But should you want more frequent updates at the expense of longer chapters, please feel free to let us know and depending on reception, we'll cut the length and divide chapters, so you get more chapters. Since it took us so long to get this chapter out, we doubled the length this time to make up for it.  
_

 _Thank you so much for your patience, valuable feedback and continued support!_

* * *

 ** _RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land_**

 _Chapter 8: ...And into the Fire_

* * *

 _"Sir, I bring news from our scouting units."_

 _"Very well, go ahead."_

 _"After a report from our scout units in Vale, we have managed to tail and down an Atlas transport using stolen anti-air weaponry."_

 _"...Atlas? This far out? Unlikely."_

 _"If not Atlas, then who? Vale's forces are still attempting to gain control in the capital after the battle at Beacon Academy."_

 _"I don't need a reminder of that day. Go, find that crash site, take as many men as you need."_

 _"What are we to do once we locate it?"_

 _"Report your findings; I want to know who is out there. Take weapons and equipment."_

 _"And if we come across survivors?"_

 _"If they aren't Faunus that can be rallied to our cause...Kill them."_

 _"Understood."_

 _"What about our local scout? Has he reported anything?"_

 _"Yes, he monitored several huntsmen for hours near an abandoned village. Once the area was too...we'll say crowded...with Grimm."_

 _"Is that it?"_

 _"No, several armed men and vehicles convened with them in the village."_

 _"Armed men? Soldiers?"_

 _"I believe that's a safe assumption. According to our scout, they utilized weapons and uniforms he was unfamiliar with. They belonged to no Kingdom we know of."_

 _"What happened?"_

 _"After being spotted by one of the soldiers, our scout fired and withdrew, the soldier returned fire. They soon left the position in a hurry, likely due to being compromised."_

 _"Hmm…"_

 _"...Is something wrong, Sir?"_

 _"I have a feeling we'll be seeing these armed men again...Sooner rather than later. Change of plans, take Captain Accalia with you as well and engage on sight."_

 _"...For what purpose? I apologize if it is not in my place to say, but wasn't our mission to engage Government forces, rally more men and find-"_

 _"I'm aware of our current mission. The witch very commonly reminds me it. I won't tolerate delays or any obstacles. You and your sister are going out there to ensure whoever we shot down is NOT a hindrance to our mission. Is that understood?"_

 _"Yes, Commander Taurus."_

 _"Should this turn ugly I want the best. And that's your sister and yourself, Lieutenant Fenrir."_

 _"It will be done."_

* * *

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**  
 **FLIGHT DECK**  
 **EARTH TIME - 0322 HOURS**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION COMMANDER**  
 **MCPL FARREN**

"Let's go boys, hustle!" George Farren yelled at his section, forcing the men to push their bodies to top speed.

The understandably tired soldiers had been abruptly called to action by a ship wide emergency alarm. At first, many thought the ship or the FOB had been attacked and they were in for a defensive operation on the flight deck, or even the beach once again. However, the lack of gunfire or screaming made the rushing troops believe otherwise. Didn't make it any less important, though.

"Bravo Company to the Flight Deck immediately! Say again my last; Bravo Company to the Flight Deck immediately! Alpha Company stay on standby, say again, stay on standby Alpha Company." The ship wide speakers blared, demanding their presence.

The entirety of Bravo Company raced through the Isaac Brock, making haste for the flight deck. While on the move, Farren fastened his chin strap and tightened his gloves. Armored soldiers filled the halls on many decks, all making their way upwards.

"Sam! What's 2's status?" Farren shouted back to his second in command, who was generally tasked with updating the section commander of troop status.

"We're combat ready, boss!" Corporal Owens had been head counting their section while carrying his C9 by the carry handle.

"Copy that! Don't know what's going on boys, but keep your head in the game!"

The moment the combat teams stepped out into the world on the open flight deck, their vision was severely limited due to the lack of light. Only minor installations within the FOB on the beach could be seen.

"BRAVO COMPANY FORM UP! LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER KENDALL WILL NOW FILL US IN ON WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Company Sergeant Major O'Brien shouted in his usual aggressive tone.

Several Platoons of Infantry soldiers, Combat Engineers, and support elements lined up in full combat gear, awaiting further instructions.

"Thank you, Sergeant Major! Okay ladies and gentlemen, listen up! At 0314 hours, we lost radio contact with Talon 0-1. Last transmission indicated that they were engaged by active AAA and were losing altitude. Until proven otherwise, the crew and her passengers are to be considered MIA. Time to take off the kiddie gloves gentlemen…"

Kendall paced around the Company of Infantry, observing their expressions as best he could in the low light. They were angry; furious even. As the naval officer reviewed the faces of the troopers, he caught wind of Farren. Kendall was surprised to not see blood pouring from the man's palms as a result of his vice grip of anger.

"Your orders are to carve a path towards the crash site, get our people and take out any sons of bitches dumb enough to get between you, and our downed bird. Lock and load, Someone has just declared war on us. It's time to show them just exactly what that means. Give'm hell Bravo, and get our people back."

The sky blackened above the Brock as the contingent of soldiers broke off into their respective sections and Platoon. The minimal light emitted from Remnants moon blocked by thick clouds, which meant rain in the forecast. As the infantry got their orders, flight crews began to haul Griffons back into their hangars. Ried and Dietz waited calmly in the bridge, waiting for updates. They knew rain would impede rescue efforts, all the infantry needed to hear was the deployment order. Rain or shine, they were getting their people back.

 **UNKNOWN TIME**  
 **UNKNOWN LOCATION**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

A steady flow of rain assaulted the uncovered nape of Jack's neck while he laid face down in the dirt sprawled across the ground.

" _Jack._ "

The soldier slowly regained consciousness, his first sign of life a long, drawn out groan to signify his pain to no one in particular. He raised a hand, which quickly dropped to the wet ground and began to push up, lifting Jack's head and torso out of the dirt. He tried to look around to get his bearings and respond to whoever was calling him.

"...Owww…." A muffled growl was muted by the showering rain.

" _Jack. You have to get up._ "

Jack's vision slowly returned, though it was obscured by the rain and the likelihood of a concussion. He groaned again when he tried to stand. He rolled onto his back in pain and looked up into the dark sky. The shattered moon yet again grasped his attention, serving as a reminder of where he was.

" _Jack!_ "

"I hear ya…" A small confirmation escaped his lips, though he wasn't fully aware of what he was saying, or what he was doing. "I'm alive…" Slowly, he raised himself up on his elbows. He looked up to face the one calling for him.

No one was there. He shrugged the voice off. Likely a byproduct of his fall.

The dazed soldier examined his surroundings. A dark and wet forest. Many broken branches and pine lay strewn around him. That's when he began to remember. He had fallen from the Griffon. Just seconds before the impact, the helicopter had veered to its side, tossing several of the occupants, including Carver, out the side. Though it was a miracle that he was alive, he had the altitude to thank. Were they any higher, had he not hit some trees on his way down, he would certainly be dead.

"...What...Happened…?" The soldier mumbled, trying to recollect the events leading up to the fall. He had been sitting in the Griffon, chatting about guns with Ruby while staring out into the night before spotting a burst of light coming at them. It occurred to him what happened. They didn't crash due to pilot or even equipment error...They were shot down. The tail had taken a rocket or some anti-air weapon which forced them down.

Who? Why? His first thought was of the hostile scout they had spotted the other night. A white fang scout as the Huntsmen called them. If it really was them, they had picked a fight yet again. Jack's next thought was of the other chopper occupants. Where were they? Were they alive? Did they need his help? Could they call for evac on the choppers radio? Were Ruby and company alright? A plethora of questions raced through his mind. He could worry about the details of their attackers later, for now, he'd have to find the crash site, they needed his help.

He pat himself down, ensuring everything was where it was supposed to be. He felt like a ton of bricks had been dropped on him, which in his mind was a good thing. If he could not feel it, he would likely be paralyzed. Once he deemed that he was in one piece, he slowly got to his feet, searching for his rifle.

It was nowhere to be found. He still had a belt of 40mm grenades and all his rifle ammo, but without a weapon, it was nothing but a massive ammo paper weight.

"...Damn it…"

Jack slid his hand slid down his leg until he reached his holster. A sigh of relief escaped him as he found his Browning. Sure, the 9mm round proved to be very ineffective against the Grimm...but it was better than nothing and it provided a small sense of security to the otherwise unarmed Soldier.

" _Better get a move on, Grimm_ are _a certainty out here_ …" Jack cocked the slide and started to walk deeper into the forest, following a trail of broken branches and clipped trees to find the downed Griffon.

Tired, hungry, injured, dazed and facing nearly unwinnable odds. The whole scenario reminded the soldier of battle school. That, and the first night the Regiment spent on Remnant.

As the rain affected his visibility, he hoped it would at least shield him from detection should hostiles come into the fray. He had also hoped his comrades were alright. It was rare that chopper crashes did not claim the lives of many involved. A pang of fear stung him. Ruby. Doctor Grove. He grunted and pushed himself to go faster.

"They're alive." He told himself, gritting his teeth.

He trudged through the rain soaked forest, dragging his feet in the mud, occasionally tripping and cursing under his breath. The pain, dazed state and slippery terrain made for a difficult trek. The soldier walked for what seemed like hours, not making much ground due to his current condition, however. He stopped, having realized he lost track of where he was going.

"Great…" Sarcastically, the soldier spun around, unsure of where to go next. It was dark and the rain likely suppressed any smoke that originated from the crash. The wet mud masked any branches destroyed by the impact. He was lost needless to say.

" _This way._ "

The soldier spun around, raising the handgun to eye level.

Nothing.

"...What the hell…?" Jack took a step forward. And then another. Slowly, he progressed, checking behind each tree he passed for whoever had been speaking to him. He was alone. He took deep breaths, trying to keep his cool, knowing full well if he panicked that it would bring an enemy he could not fight alone.

Having confirmed with RNJR and passing the information up to the chain of command, they could surmise that the Grimm were attracted to 'negative emotion'. Keeping his cool was Jack's best hope for survival at the moment.

His heart was beating out of his chest, drops of sweat mixing with the rain. Jack took hold of his rifle bayonet with his non-dominant hand, removing it from its scabbard. He rested his pistol gripping hand atop of his non-dominant wrist. This form would allow him to shoot and thrust with the blade at the same time, if necessary.

He continued onward for several hundred meters until a grunt caught the Soldier's attention. He lifted the sidearm defensively and made haste towards the origin. Upon closer inspection, he could see the frame of a man resting against a tree, one hand gripping his leg, the other gripping a long barreled rifle. Jack approached cautiously until he could easily make out the silhouette of the standard issue Kevlar helmet and frag vest around the man's frame. It was one of the snipers from the Recce team.

"Friendly." Jack said just loud enough to approach the soldier without getting shot.

"Thank Christ. I almost blasted you away." The man sighed. "Who's this?" The darkness obscured their faces.

"Private Carver." Jack said while observing the man's leg. "How bad is it?"

"Good to see you're alive, kid. Sergeant Travers." After introducing himself, the sniper placed the C14 Timberwolf Sniper RIfle down to better assess the damage to his leg with the assistance of the Private. "...I think the damn thing is broken...Hurts like a bitch…"

The weather, darkness, lack of medical expertise and circumstance urged Jack to disregard the extent of the injury and simply aid the Sergeant and locate the Griffon. Once there, they'd likely get help.

"...I can't tell... _Damn, where's Ross when you need him_ …" Jack sighed. "Well, we gotta move, Sarge. We've gotta find the crash site."

"Agreed...But I'm gonna need your help, Private." Sergeant Travers beckoned to his leg. "Here, take my C8, you'll need it." The sniper gripped a second weapon slung to his back, a suppressed carbine for close engagements should a sniper team require it.

"Judging by that I guess you heard it too..." Jack lifted the C8 into his arms, loading one of the magazines from his tactical vest into the rifle.

"Hard to miss gunshots kid. We better get moving, help me up."

Jack froze. Gunshots? He hadn't heard any weapons discharge. Carver had been referring to the cryptic voices he had heard while advancing through the brush. The mention of gun fire led Jack to believe he had been out far longer than he originally anticipated.

"You alright?" The Sergeant asked, awaiting aid.

"...Yeah, just hit my head harder than I thought…" Jack lifted Sergeant Travers to his feet, wrapping his arm around Jack's shoulder to support him while moving. The sudden movement earned a grunt of discomfort from both men.

"C'mon, let's get moving."

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **DECK 5  
** **EARTH TIME- 0400 HOURS**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON  
** **LT. BRYSON**

As the Infantry officers devised a rescue plan above deck, the Naval officers excused themselves to hold a conference. Officers would take turns attending so that there was always someone with seniority in charge. Since this was an Infantry operation, Bryson was invited to attend. He walked calmly to the officer's mess where we could faintly hear arguing coming from the stateroom door. He slowed, only to find Kendall emerge and the argument become louder. Kendall quickly reached behind him and closed the door, leaning upon it and giving a brief sigh of relief.

"Sir, is something wrong?" Bryson inquired.

Kendall's eyes shot open as he turned his head right to see who was calling him

"Bryson? Yes, I'm fine. Just needed a break from that zoo." Kendall stood straight again and greeted the Lieutenant who approached him.

"Well, if I wasn't looking forward to that meeting before...I sure am now." Paul Bryson muttered sarcastically.

As Bryson went for the door, Kendall extended his hand, blocking his access to the door.

"You really don't want to go in there right now-"

" _JESUS, ARE WE BLIND?!_ " Captain Dietz' voice bellowed from the officer's mess, cutting off Kendall's sentence

Both men stood confused in the hallway for a few seconds before looking to each other, Bryson looking more surprised than his superior,

"Come on, take a walk with me while you wait. I have some questions." Kendall pat Bryson on the shoulder and guided him back down the hallway.

As the two started down the corridor, a flight control officer barged out of the officer's mess and down the opposite way to the two officers. A hand from within the room closed the door and the argument persisted.

"Jesus, what the hell is going on in there?"

"Nobody wants to talk about it, but leadership has been split on how to proceed since day one. That portal has divided junior and senior officers right down the middle. Dietz and Reid are pretty much in lockstep, and in the end, that's all that matters, but the other officers are constantly arguing on how literally we should take our orders now that things have changed...Now that we're cut off from home."

"Are we talking about a fractured leadership?" Bryson stopped walking, Kendall noted a change in his mood.

A fractured leadership was evidence of a situation becoming absolutely FUBAR to the point where no one could come to an agreement on how to proceed. Then again, Paul was not surprised. He certainly didn't know the way forward, and he had been on the frontlines of every engagement so far.

"God no, nothing that serious. Dietz and Reid like to hear the opinions of the other officers and this is a bi-product."

"Well, what do you think?" Bryson inquired

"About?"

"Our current situation, sir."

"To tell you the truth, I don't know. Part of the reason I can't stand being in there."

"Why don't Reid and Dietz just make the decisions themselves then?"

"Oh, for the most part, they do. They just like hearing what the other officers think when the opportunity arises. It's just-" The Lieutenant Commander abruptly stopped his sentence, looking confused.

"What?" Bryson cocked an eyebrow.

"Do you feel that?"

"Uh, yes sir, the ship's rocking. I'm not in her Majesty's Navy but they do that as far as I can tell."

"No, not that...We've raised anchor..."

 **UNKNOWN TIME**  
 **UNKNOWN LOCATION**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

"Whoa." Jack muttered, taking himself and the wounded Sergeant behind a tree for cover.

The Sergeant stayed quiet, biting down on the material of his uniform to try and stay silent, spending enough time as a sniper to know silence was key to successful recon operations.

The much younger soldier peered out, seeing a body lying in the mud, a puddle of blood around it. He lifted the C8 into his shoulder and stepped out, approaching the corpse.

Spent casings and blood surrounded a CADPAT dressed body.

"...Shit…"

Jack waved the rifle around the perimeter, unsure if the attackers were still around or not.

They hadn't seen any Grimm on the way over...so what was responsible for the soldier's death?

The soldier took a knee, reaching for the dog tags around the Master Corporal's neck. Yet another casualty in the short time they'd been there. He cursed under his breath before something caught his attention in the sea of mud, brass casings and blood. A gray spent casing. A gray casing, not a brass 5.56 casing.

"What?" Jack picked up the casing to inspect it. It was extremely similar to the casings RNJR had shown him his first night in the woods.

Friendly fire between RNJR perhaps? No. Jack quickly shot that idea down. RNJR was tactile and efficient, not careless enough to get caught in friendly fire and not ruthless enough to leave the body.

There was an armed enemy out there gunning down Canadians.

He cursed under his breath and jogged back to where he left the Sergeant.

"What's going on?" Travers muttered.

"Found where the gunshots originated from."

The Sergeant cocked a brow. "Hostile?"

"Absolutely. They're probably the guys that shot down the Griffon." Jack nodded. "One friendly KIA, Sergeant." He handed the wounded Sniper the dog tags.

Upon reading the details engraved, the Sergeant shook his head and slammed his fist against the dirt "God damn it…"

"It's gonna be hard to carry both of you. But I'll do what I can. We can follow their footprints, it's a safe bet they're looking for the crash too."

"...Carver that's stupid...He'll slow us down. We'll come back for him."

"But Sergeant-"

Travers snapped and grabbed Jack's sweat and mud soaked shirt collar and pulled the soldier closer.

"Listen to me kid, I don't like it any more than you do! That body there is one of my _friends!_ But we've all been ordered to keep you, the doctor and the other kids alive, so that's what we're gonna do! Now I am ordering you, pick up that Carbine, help me up, and let's do our job so we can leave this shit hole!"

Jack thought for a few moments before reluctantly nodding. The sniper was wounded, tired, unsure of the future and his friend was just found dead and yet he managed to put the mission first. Jack had to do the same.

"Yes, Sergeant..." Jack quickly picked up a large, somewhat recognizable stick and speared it into the ground next to the corpse, marking it for later pickup.

The rain started to pick up, showering the soldiers.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Sergeant Travers sighed.

"On the bright side, it masks our footsteps."

"Won't do us any good if it washes away their footsteps. C'mon, we've got to get a move on." He extended his arm, looking for help from Jack, who immediately lifted him to his feet.

Over time, their boots became waterlogged and weighed down from the mud while their uniforms had been soaked, sticking against their skin uncomfortably. The Carbine grew heavy in Jack's hands as the two men trudged along.

"Shit, boy. Considering a career change after this. I'm getting too old for this shit."

"You're telling me you're having second thoughts about the Infantry, Sergeant? Shit, you don't look a day ove-"

The two passed a large tree, only to intercept two armed individuals.

All four froze in place in pure shock. Both figures in front of the two Soldiers donned white tunics with various pieces of armor plating covering vital areas. The first one in Jack's view; a tall, bulky man with what appeared to be a tail. Jack wouldn't have believed his own eyes were it not for RNJR describing the existence of Faunus, a race of humanoids with animal features. The only facial feature not covered by the gray mask attributed to the White Fang, was the man's jaw, which was agape in surprise. They were likely searching for survivors and did not expect armed and mobile survivors to find them. The other, a female, looked just as shocked.

The four stood in silence, gazing at each other in horror.

The first White Fang Soldier went for his weapon abruptly, raising it to gun the Canadians down.

"Shit!" Jack shoved the Sergeant to the left and then dove to the right, both men missing the immediate spray of gunfire.

"Umph!" Sergeant Travers hit the dirt hard and went for his gun, cradling the Timberwolf in his arms before firing a round without aiming. The high impact round made contact with the first attacker's lower torso. He was blown several feet back just from the impact.

The next hostile charged forward, removing her handgun from her leg holster.

Jack shot up in pure adrenaline and shouldered the C8. "DROP IT! DROP THE GODDAMN GUN!"

The White Fang Grunt changed her focus away from the Sergeant, lifting her pistol to engage Carver.

Jack's heart was racing, but the choice was clear. He squeezed the trigger several times, firing off a burst. The bullets burrowed into the target, and blew out the back, sending the enemy crashing down. Instantly, the white tunic was blood stained and soon was the ground.

He watched the target fall, clutching her chest the whole time and writhing in pain for a few seconds before succumbing to the wounds. The trademark mask had come loose during the fall, exposing lifeless eyes staring fearfully back at him.

Jack froze.

The C8's barrel slowly lowered, pointing toward the mud.

"Carver!" Sergeant Travers called out to the stunned Soldier. "Carver!"

It was all white noise in Jack's head. He had shot hundreds of targets on training ranges back home, he had even killed several Grimm during their time on Remnant. But this was a person. Flesh and blood for the first, and unlikely the last time. He gazed at the corpse. Was this like Farren's first kill? Or even his own fathers? His knees shook as he thought.

" _Jack._ " The voice returned.

Maybe he was losing it.

" _Jack!_ "

"WHAT?" The trooper snapped.

"I said it's time to move! They must've heard that! C'mon!" The Sergeant's voice broke through the unfamiliar cryptic one yelling his name.

Jack spun on his heel and dashed for the Sergeant before helping him to his feet yet again.

"The hell is wrong with you? You alright?" Travers observed the pale and silent soldier.

"...Uhh...Y-Yeah I'm okay…"

"That was your first kill, wasn't it?"

"...Yeah." He nodded slowly.

"What are our rules of engagement?"

"What?"

"You should know them. What are they?"

"...Fire if fired upon."

"And what just happened."

Jack exhaled through his nose. While his kill may have been justified, it did not make him feel better in the slightest.

"Don't beat yourself up, kid. You're an Infantry soldier. You did your job. You didn't do anything wrong. There'll be more where she came from."

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
BRIDGE**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON  
** **LT. BRYSON**

Kendall and Bryson jogged up the stairs of the Brock's Island to reach the bridge. As the two stepped through the bulkhead door, Kendall's suspicion was indeed confirmed. The ship was turning a good 90 degrees port, having the aft of the ship facing the beachhead they fought to capture a few days earlier. The bridge was packed full, with more sailors and soldiers than normal. Dietz was atop his chair with a dissatisfied look on his face and a phone in-hand.

"Yes, I said cancel deployment of first platoon and get all assets aboard immediately," There was a slight pause as Dietz waited for a response "No I am not Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, but you tell your men that the Brock is leaving with or without them, regardless if they have been told otherwise."

"Are we leaving sir?" Kendall inquired, interrupting the telephone conversation.

"Heading up the proverbial stream, as it were. There is a small straight that we can use to get close to the crash site, and once we clear this storm we can launch the Avenger to get a better idea of their situation."

"Where is the Colonel, sir?" Bryson interjected.

"Below decks in the CIC. Without satellite tracking or a UAV, we need to find the crash site the old fashioned way. Reid is helping narrow the search area so we don't waste time when we arrive."

The communications officer rose from his chair, using his hand to mute the phone."Sir, ground teams are asking how they should get the LAV's back onboard, what should I tell them?"

"Tell them I'm coming down to there to direct things personally, I want this done one right. Kendall, you have the conn until I get back."

"Aye Captain."

As Dietz started down the hall, a midshipman stopped to salute him. Dietz took him by the shoulder and guided him to walk along side, giving him a number of duties to perform. As Kendall brought his eyes back to the bridge, he looked to the condition of the sky. The storm was growing, not even the sun's light could pierce the clouds above were it out yet. As he took a seat in his chair, Bryson followed close behind.

"I hope we're not too late. I can't imagine Farrens reaction if we are." Kendall stroked his chin while observing the bridge staff perform their duties.

"I won't put anything past this hell-hole. It feels like this whole world has been against us since the start."

"As his superior, do you think Carver will make it through? I mean we don't have these 'auras' or 'semblances' to keep us going. We're only human."

"He's been trained the same as us. He has his training, his guns, and his wit. Plus whatever Farren has drilled into him. Plus he has a trump card. RNJR. All we can do is hope the lot of them come out on top."

"Bryson, if there's one thing I've learned in the Canadian Forces, it's that training isn't always everything. Carver will need more than that to find the answers we need."

 **UNKNOWN LOCATION**  
 **UNKNOWN TIME**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

"We've gotta be getting closer to the main body of them. That's the biggest patrol we've seen yet." Jack whispered, observing a White Fang patrol in the distance.

A mumbling garnered his attention. Jack looked down, seeing Sergeant Travers slumped against the tree, appearing slightly impaired.

"Sarge? Are you okay?" Jack put a hand on the Sergeant's shoulder, gently shaking him to test his responsiveness.

"Not...Not doing too...good."

Jack looked over the Sergeant. The high of the adrenaline was coming down, bringing in the pain and shock in full force. He needed medical attention. Soon.

"...C'mon, we gotta go."

Just as the two men began to walk again into the stormy night, the snap of a bullet whizzed by both their heads and impacted a tree just ahead of their position.

"Shit!"

Jack spun around and fired off a handful of rounds into the darkness to return fire.

"Time to go!" Jack let the Carbine hang from its sling, lifted Travers into the fireman carry and began to sprint as fast as he could. "Hang on, Sarge!"

Rounds splashed all around the two men, others impacting trees and snapping branches. The cracks of the dust powered round whizzed just by their helmets, causing them to flinch and curse each time.

"Put me down, kid! We need to return fire!" The adrenaline of combat pumped into Travers once again.

Jack complied, placing the Sergeant down into the prone position, followed by handing the man his Timberwolf. Carver shouldered the C8 and dumped the remainder of his magazine into the advancing enemy while moving into position behind a tree for cover.

The occasional pop from the Timberwolf was met with a death shriek in the distance, letting Jack know the sniper always had skill despite his injuries.

Jack tore open the velcro pouch keeping one of his magazines in place. He gripped the top and moved to slam the thirty round magazine into his weapon, cut off by several rounds impacting the tree from his flank.

"There! Take them out!" Three White Fang soldiers circled around, now assaulting from the left flank of their position. The rain and dense woods had done well to hide their location, but with the enemy drawing in with decent communication, it scrapped any chance at hiding.

Both Private Carver and Sergeant Travers unholstered their Brownings and fired wildly towards the flankers. Two of the three had instantly dropped upon taking rounds. The final target, however, had managed to prepare and hurl a grenade.

Jack's eyes grew ten sizes upon seeing the grenade land near them. "NOT GOOD!"

Jack kicked the grenade as hard as he could, sending the steel ball further into the woods. Not two seconds later, the dust grenade exploded, lighting up the night in a fiery explosion not akin to most fragmentation grenades.

"RUNNING LOW, KID!" Travers yelled before firing another shot from his Timberwolf.

"We can't stay here! They're just gonna keep coming!" Jack shouted, noticing several more members of the patrol joining the firefight.

"Time to move!" Travers pushed himself up out of the dirt, preparing to be picked up by Jack. "I'll cover y-" Four shots zipped through the trees. While two rounds were stopped by the ballistic plate within the Sergeant's frag vest, the next two passed completely unopposed, sending the Sergeant stumbling back against a tree and a splash of blood onto the dirt. " _ **UMPH!**_ "

"Sarge!" Jack left cover immediately to recover Travers.

He gripped the drag handle on the Sergeant's tactical vest and ran. As fast and far as he could.

"Just hang on-" An explosion cut the soldier off, sending him flying into a tree. The grunt hit the oak hard and smacked the dirt moments later.

He groaned but managed to force himself up onto his elbows. "Sergeant-" He froze, just now noticing the Sergeant's lifeless eyes stare back at him, motionless.

Jack crawled forward, pressing his index and middle finger against the man's carotid artery on his neck, futily checking for a pulse. Despite the bullets whizzing over his head, he waited.

Nothing.

Jack's hand balled into a fist. He quickly retrieved the Sergeant's dog tags and reached into his vest for a fragmentation grenade. He pulled the pin and waited for the enemy to close in, not releasing pressure on the spoon, as that would arm the grenade. When the enemy was in the perfect position, he lobbed the grenade.

He awaited the explosion, and upon it's coming, he stood up, weapon at the ready. He moved forward with a fresh magazine in his C8. A mixture of training, instinct and sheer rage pushed Private Carver onwards, finger on the trigger.

"Come on! Get up, we've almost got em- _AH!_ "

Jack pulled the trigger, immediately downing the first visible White Fang soldier.

"Kill him! Let's go!"

A hostile wounded by the grenade raised his pistol, only to met with a hail of rounds by the advancing soldier.

"HE'S ONE MAN, JUST SHOOT HIM!"

The enemy was no longer dazed by the grenade, and once again a steady flow of fire was hurled at the Canadian. For a few brief moments, through a flash of lightning, the enemy patrol commander and Jack locked eyes. Their gaze was interrupted by the firefight. Jack raised his Carbine, attempting to kill the enemy commander, only to be forced down by fire. The soldier took cover behind a tree. The hail of gunfire tore the tree to shreds, particularly on the edges. A dust round tore through the tree and grazed Jack's arm, instantly ripping his combat shirt's shoulder material and staining his arm a blood red.

While it stung, Jack's gaze was fixated on the Sergeant's body lying still a few meters in front of him in the dirt.

"Let's do our job so we can leave this shit hole!" Travers' words played out again in Jack's head.

A growl caught his attention. Looking to his right, he could see the red glow of several Grimm eyes coming through the forest. He knew they would show up eventually. All the negative emotion was bound to attract them.

"Grimm! Take them out!" The steady spray of gunfire shifted toward the pack deep in the woods.

The perfect distraction.

He had to find that Griffon. He emptied the magazine into the advancing hostiles, took one last look at the men he killed and then to the Sergeant, and then broke into a sprint further into the woods.

 **ONE HOUR PRIOR**  
 **UNKNOWN LOCATION**

 **HUNTRESS  
** **TEAM RNJR  
** **RUBY ROSE**

"...Ugh…" Ruby's silver eyes fluttered open, awakened by the steady beat of rain falling into the downed Griffon helicopter.

She raised herself up onto her elbows and looked around, noticing numerous unconscious individuals sprawled around the interior of the chopper. The Huntress quickly rubbed the back of her head with a groan and bounced to her feet, grabbing Crescent Rose as she did.

"Is everyone okay?" Ruby called out, earning a few grunts in response.

"Jaune? You okay?" The girl pestered, hoping she'd get answers.

The Huntsman slowly gave a thumbs up, trying to get up as he did. "Let's never do that again…"

"Nora? Ren?"

"Still breathing…" Ren muttered.

"No more helicopters, please…" Nora slowly got to her feet.

Over time, the two other snipers showed signs of consciousness. The team leader, Warrant Officer Gage immediately sprung up with a gasp and looked around, examining his surroundings.

"Whoa, easy!" Ruby crawled over to the Warrant, resting the Sniper against the steel floor that was now a wall as the chopper was overturned.

"...What the hell happened…?" Gage placed a palm against his forehead after a long, uncomfortable groan.

"We were shot down." Jaune murmured, almost positive of what happened. To him, it was the only logical explanation.

"Explains the explosion…Oh shit!"

The Warrant realized the severity of the crash and quickly crawled over to an unconscious man in the corner.

"Doctor Grove! Are you alright?" The Sniper shook the man, hoping to wake him.

Grove was the most valuable asset that the expedition force had other than RNJR. To lose him was a colossal blow. A moan from Grove was met with a sigh of relief by the remainder.

The Warrant wiped his brow and pointed towards the cockpit. "Check on the pilots."

"On it!" Ruby awkwardly clambered over the crash survivors and hastily made her way to the cockpit, where just by looking, blood and broken glass could be seen.

The Huntress entered the cockpit. Looking towards the ground, she could see the primary pilot still locked in his chair and slumped against the glass. He didn't look good. Ruby placed her hands on the Captain and gently shook him, trying to wake him.

"...Captain?" The girl called out, garnering no response.

A hand abruptly gripped her shoulder, almost causing the Huntress to yelp in surprise. Ruby looked behind her, seeing no one.

"...Up here…"

Ruby looked up, seeing Lieutenant Langer stuck in her seat, suspended in the air. The air-force Lieutenant's visor had been smashed and a steady flow of blood dripped from her nose, matching the beat of the rain. While Ruby looked up, several drops of blood stained her cheek. She recoiled and tried wiping the red from her face, but wasted no time in reaching for Langer's knife to cut her down.

"...Careful...I'm gonna fall-AH!"

Langer was cut loose and immediately went crashing towards the ground, only to be caught by Ruby.

"I've gotcha! Come on, let's get you inside the cabin."

"Thanks, kid…"

Ruby carried the wounded Lieutenant into the crew compartment of the Griffon, where Warrant Gage and the rest of the team had been tending to the wounded and mending their own wounds.

"Langer's alive. The Captain didn't make it…" Ruby informed the det-commander of the loss before slowly placing Langer down against the wall next to Doctor Grove.

"Damn it...Alright, someone cover him up, he can't just sit in the open. Grab his tags and ammo. Carver, I want you and Aiden to Recce the immediate area. Copy?"

No response. Only Corporal Aiden looked up from tending to Lieutenant Langer.

"Private Carver? Sound off, Soldier!"

Ruby swiftly looked around the cabin. "Jack?"

Jaune sighed and placed a palm on his forehead in frustration. "Damn it!"

"We're missing Sergeant Travers and Master Corporal Fazekas too, Warrant…" Corporal Aiden looked around the downed chopper.

"Did they fall out?" Nora asked while nervously twiddling her thumbs, practically answering her own question.

"Then we're going to find them." Ruby reached for Crescent Rose, cradling the rifle in her arms.

"Slow down." Warrant Gage sighed. "We don't know where we are, who shot us down, why they shot us down, if they're closing in on us or if the others are even alive. Splitting up is not tactically viable."

"You can't be suggesting we leave them out there!" Jaune shouted.

"That is _not_ what I'm suggesting!" Gage pointed at the Huntsman, speaking sternly as he did. "I have no intention of leaving my men! I'm saying we will die out here if we don't get a grip on what the hell is going on! There are too many variables to account for!"

Ruby looked the warrant dead in the eyes, her silver tint almost making the man uncomfortable. "He'd do the same for you. Any of them would."

"You hardly know Private Carver enough to judge his character." The Warrant said coldly.

"I've seen enough to know. Besides, Captain Dietz said it himself. That soldier is one the most important men in your Regiment right now. You need him!"

"Warrant Officer Gage, what if Doctor Grove had died in the crash?" Ren looked up. "Your chain of command has made it clear that besides the Doctor, Private Carver is the most well versed in Remnant knowledge. That is the reason he was selected for this mission on top of security for Doctor Grove. While there's still much for both Grove and Carver to learn, you can't deny that if even one of them dies, the other becomes exponentially more important. We can't risk a casualty this early. You need to find Jack. Soon."

The Warrant sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. While the Huntsman made good points, he couldn't help but sense ulterior motives from the girl.

After a long silence, the man spoke. "...Aiden…"

"Warrant." The soldier sounded off, signaling his attention.

"Take Rose and Arc." Warrant Gage looked directly to Ruby while speaking to Corporal Aiden. "Find our men. Bring them back here. Alive preferably."

"Rog. We'll bring them back. What's the plan if either group takes contact?"

"If you come under contact, fall back to our position as soon as you can. We can't take chances out here. We'll hold down the fort here."

"Where do you need us?" Ren inquired.

"I want you and Thor over there," He gestured to Nora. "On the flank of the chopper. Provide watch for now, we'll rotate in shifts. Take a tarp to protect you from the rain."

"...Take the Six…" Lieutenant Langer mumbled.

"What was that, ma'am?" Warrant Gage inquired.

"The C6...set it up in your OP and unload if any hostiles come after us." The wounded co-pilot pointed to the opened hatch above their heads.

The door mounted C6 sat idly on its mount, waiting to once again be used.

"Good thinking, ma'am." Gage got to his feet and released the machine gun from its mount. "Take it with you, set it up wherever you go."

Nora took hold of the C6 with one hand, making the 7.62 caliber machine gun look like a basic rifle. She clambered out of the helicopter, followed by Ren, and raced into the tree line out of sight.

"You're making a good call, Gage. Thank you." Ruby nodded to the Warrant Officer.

"Just get our men back here, Rose."

Ruby clambered to the exit and leapt out from the chopper. Her boots impacted the mud shortly after Corporal Aiden and Jaune did.

"Well, this is just great." Aiden muttered while examining the crash site.

Rotor blades and chunks of metal were strewn all over the place, as were clippings of trees. The Helicopter had made itself a nice trail and ditch upon landing, resting awkwardly on it's side.

"It's a miracle any of us survived…" Jaune shook his head.

"Damn budget cuts." Aiden kicked a displaced rotor blade before lifting his rifle back into his hands. "Alright...let's get er' done."

The rain began to pick up again, as did the occasional thunder and lightning strike, occasionally lighting up the forest. The group had been marching through the rain for roughly an hour, taking cover the moment their heard gunshots. While the Thunder made it hard to isolate the point of origin, there was no way to completely drown out the gunfire.

"Come on, we've gotta go check that out." Aiden gestured his hand forward.

They had been advancing for a few hundred meters until their heard rustling through the brush.

"Down." Aiden calmly dropped to his stomach and reached for his Timberwolf. The sniper deployed his bipod and peered into the optic. "I've got movement about a hundred meters out."

"Who?" Ruby whispered, crawling up beside the Sniper.

"Hard to tell. Definitely isn't CADPAT though. Take a look."

Ruby reached for her own sniper rifle and used the enhanced optic.

"White Fang." Ruby muttered, slightly taken back.

"What?" Jaune crawled forward, trying to get a look.

They hadn't seen them since the fall of Beacon, now here they were again.

"Are those the guys Carver was yelling about on watch?"

"Those are the ones…" Jaune sighed.

"But what are they doing all the way out here?" Ruby asked.

"Probably the pricks that shot us down." Aiden contemplated engaging, but let them go to maintain stealth.

In time, the group passed, likely going to investigate the gunfire. The three got back to their feet, brushing the mud off of their gear before continuing on.

"Just keep an eye out, we don't know how many of them are out-"

In a flash, Jaune was tackled to the ground by a bloodied and dirty figure. The figure drew a knife, preparing to stab the downed Huntsman.

"Jaune!" Ruby shouted and charged the figure, using her semblance's unparalleled speed to thrust the attacker against a tree. She wouldn't lose another friend, not now, not again. The man grunted and raised a pistol to engage.

The Huntress dashed forward, kicking the pistol from his grasp with untapped ferocity and followed suit by placing the barrel of Crescent Rose just inches away from the face of their attacker. The bloody man froze, presumably gazing down the barrel. Only upon a lightning strike illuminating the face of the man did the zealous Huntress lower her weapon.

" _Jack?!_ "

" _Ruby?!_ "

The man slumped against the tree looked nothing like Jack Carver. His once lush green digital uniform was blackened by mud and rain, only occasional stains of red provided color. His face was a similar color, streaks of red mixed in with brown. However, his eyes remained fairly untouched due to the brim of his helmet. That was how she recognized him. And how he recognized her.

"We've been looking all over for you! Are you alright?" Ruby extended a hand, helping the weary Soldier to his feet.

"...Don't worry about me…I'm just glad you guys are okay...Sorry about that, I thought you guys were White Fang..."

"Guess you know what's going on then." Corporal Aiden said while helping Jaune up from the mud. "Have you seen the rest of the team?"

Jack reached into his tactical vest and retrieved two pairs of dog tags, dangling them in the open for the Corporal to see.

"...Shit..."

"I'm it." Jack gestured to himself. "You guys find the crash site?"

"That's where we came from, we managed to hang on." Jaune said while wiping mud off of his equipment. "Back the way we came." He lifted his thumb, pointing back over his shoulder.

"I'll radio the Warrant and Ren, let em' know we're coming back." Aiden stepped away while pulling out his radio.

 **THIRTY MINUTES LATER**  
 **GRIFFON CRASH SITE**

The walk back was silent, for more than just stealth reasons. When the group came across the Griffon, Jack could see the damage for himself.

"...Holy shit…Who else made it?"

"The warrant, Grove, Ren, Nora and Langer."

"Hmm, Master Corporal Farren will be happy to know that."

"What are you talkin' about?"

"Nothing, just making a joke."

The four warriors approached the cockpit and glanced in. Immediately, Jack noticed the covered corpse of the Pilot. He grimaced upon laying eyes on the Captain.

"Warrant!" Aiden called out.

"Aiden, report."

"We got Carver...but Master Corporal Fazekas and Sergeant Travers didn't make it."

"...God damn it...Alright...Get yourselv-"

A barrage of rounds pinged against the hull of the craft, just missing the four warriors in the open. A plethora of White Fang soldiers emerged from the tree line.

"WOAH! CONTACT!" Jack took a knee and began to return fire towards the tree line.

"AIDEN! GET ROSE AND ARC ON THE RIGHT FLANK, DON'T LET THESE BASTARDS GET AROUND US!"

"Roger, Warrant!" Aiden spun around, turning to face Ruby and Jaune. "You heard the man! We need you two on the right! Carver, you and I in the cockpit, laying down fire, right now!"

"Got it!" All three yelled in sync before rushing off to their respective battlefield task.

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
ASSAULT BAY**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON  
2 SECTION  
** **MCPL FARREN**

LAVs rolled down the Brocks ramp into the amphibious bay in the bowels of the ship. Soldiers huddled around their section commanders and were briefed on the upcoming operation. Lewis and Owens rode atop one of the LAVs and upon arrival, gave a fist bump to the gunner and thanked him for his hospitality. Farren stood near one of the railings and watched men load into the transports, his demeanor was distant. He wasn't his normal self since hearing about the crash.

"You alright boss?" Owens asked

Farren stood up and greeted his men

"I will be, once we get the bastards who did this."

As Farren started down the ramp to the bay, Owens and Lewis followed close behind

"Is there any update on Jack and RNJR?"

"Nothing. The UAV snapped a quick shot of the site before bugging off. All we know is that there are survivors. That's all that matters."

As the group of soldiers walked down the ramp towards the LAV's, Owens came up beside his section commander and repositioned his C9.

"I think we need to talk."

"About?" Farren cocked a brow.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but there is a possibility that-"

"Let me stop you right there Sam. Jack is no less of a part of this section then you or I. Therefore you will excuse me from thinking the worst. And let me add, you'd do right to fix your attitude. Do I make myself clear, _Corporal?_ "

Sam and George stared each other down. While Sam had admittedly been out of line, he did not expect such a reaction from Farren. He cared too much for the kid.

"Transparently, _Master Corporal_."

"Good."

Farren stormed off into their assigned LAV and took a seat, leaving Owens stunned at his reaction. Jerome strolled in behind and patted him on the shoulder

"Eesh, what was that about?"

"I think I hit a nerve. Seems our section commander is in denial."

"Ease up man, Jack is fine. He's proved before he's a tough son of a bitch to kill."

"All I'm saying is that we shouldn't have our hopes up. It's a crash for god's sake, helicopters aren't meant to land that way. He's just going to be disappointed. I'm trying to spare him the pain again."

"THIRTY SECONDS!" Bryson's announcement bellowed from atop one of the lead LAV's

Lewis and Owens took their seats in their assigned LAV as the ramp door closed behind them. Farren and Owens exchanged looks at each other and inspected their weapons. As they waited, they could feel the driver revving the Caterpillar engine in anticipation. As the large metal doors of the bay came open, Dietz' voice could be heard on the PA system

"Bridge to Assault Bay, we are in position and you have the green light. To all teams assigned to extraction, we will be watching your progress closely."

"The lives of our comrades depend on your abilities and your courage. We have no doubt those abilities will result in victory. Your enemy is believed to be the insurgent group known as 'The White Fang'...From what we can tell from RNJR's reports, they're well outfitted, well-trained terrorists who will die for the cause. And believe me, gentlemen, if they pick a fight, they _will_ die for the cause. It's time to show these terrorists what we can do." Reid added.

Farren cursed under his breath. Another well-trained insurgency...He damned the circumstances for putting him in a similar situation as Afghanistan.

With the conclusion of the officer's address, the bay had been completely flooded with water and the contingent of armored vehicles raced towards the nearby land. The sea was especially rough with the ongoing storm, with the LAV's rocking from side to side. Dietz and Reid watched from the Bridge tower with binoculars as they came to shore. Once hitting land, their speed picked up and they quickly disappeared into the treeline. Now out of their sight, the officers exchanged a handshake and returned inside. All that was left was time.

 **GRIFFON CRASH SITE**  
 **UNKNOWN TIME**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON**  
 **2 SECTION**  
 **PTE CARVER**

As the firefight came to a boil, so too did the storm brewing above. Of course, Jack witnessed lightning storms at home, he had to march through one during BMQ, and several during DP1, but this was different. It was raw and untamed. The rain hit harder too, it had weight to it that was different than back home. Whatever nerves this conjured, they were stalled by the adrenaline that pumped like blood through his veins. Each time the lightning cracked, it provided just enough light for Jack to make out his foes in the trees. The little time between the cracks of thunder and lightning allowed Jack to disperse short, accurate bursts down range. It didn't matter if he was hitting anything, only that his enemies believed he could.

"How are you doing on ammo, kid?" Aiden asked mid reload.

"I'm good, you?"

"I need to go back in and-"

The sniper's sentence was interrupted by a shot ringing through the cockpit. Jack didn't realize what had happened until he looked to his right, noticing the sniper had been hit by a ricochet

"Dammit!" Corporal Aiden yelled, clutching his arm.

"You alright?!"

The sniper pulled back his hand, which was already covered in blood. He inspected the wound for a few seconds and re-applied pressure to stop the bleeding.

"Yeah, I'll live. Just a flesh wound."

"Get back inside and have the doc take a look. I'll hold the line."

"You sure kid?"

"I'm sure."

He wasn't sure. In truth, he didn't have high hopes for a positive outcome. With RNJR guarding the flanks in the woods, it was only three men in the chopper versus an army. And he was the invading force. Nevertheless, he would persist, if only for the slightest hope help would come. As the sniper moved out of the cockpit, the lightning gave him a brief sight to their forward line. They were massing at the tree line. They knew the line was weak, somehow in all the chaos they knew they had wounded Jacks line, and now they were coming to finish the kill.

As he emptied the last of his rounds from the magazine, he quickly canted the rifle left while simultaneously hitting the mag release, sending it flying. He followed by leaning right to get access to his mag pouch on his vest. It was soaked and full of mud from being prone on the ground. A small puddle had formed underneath his upper chest that he reached through to get a new mag. After receiving a fresh mag, he slammed it into the mag-well and used his wrist to pull the charging handle forward. They were coming now. Some crouched, others standing. They moved ever slowly towards Jack, knowing full well he couldn't stop all of them.

"Come on you bastards..." Jack muttered.

As he readied himself for one final effort. A large crack came from the adjacent tree line. More hostiles, making ready for a blitz attack? No, the crack sounded heavy. Like a mature tree coming down before it's time. The crack was followed by the roar, like the sound of an engine. As Jack turned his eyes back to the battlefield, ready to fight, his eyes were blinded by a bright light. This light was powerful and cut through the darkness like a hot knife through butter. Once more Jack heard the crack as a familiar sight broke through the treeline. Iron beasts or war rained bullets upon the now exposed terrorists, who in their moment of assured victory, had no other option but to die or play dead.

One by one LAV III's rolled out of the treeline and formed a perimeter around the downed Griffon. As they halted, the ramps lowered and CADPAT clad soldiers ran out and immediately engaged those that were left standing, however few in numbers. Farren was the first out of the LAV furthest to Jack's right. He never felt so relieved in his life. Farren marched confidently towards the cockpit and called his name.

"Carver! Situation report."

Jack was taken for a second. He didn't call to check if he was alright, or if he was even alive. Farren just expected Jack to be alive and kicking, nor would he accept any less. Jack got up from the ground, carbine in hand. His front was soaking wet and his rifle in a similar condition. As he emerged from the wreck, he saw Farren standing stoically, C7 in hand. He wasn't kidding about the situation report. As he stood before his master corporal, he straightened his back.

"Where do you want me to begin? Do I say I fell out of a god damn helicopter? Maybe that I was chased through the woods, again, by things that want to kill me?"

Farren extended his hand, signaling a handshake. As Jack put out his hand, he was pulled in closer, greeted by a congratulatory slap on the shoulder. Owens and Lewis stood behind him watching in awe.

"How come I never get a bro hug?" Lewis asked mockingly.

"You survive a helicopter crash and an onslaught of terrorists, then maybe." Owens pat Lewis on the shoulder and retrieved the C9 from his seat, exiting the LAV

Just as Farren was about to release his grip, he was hit upside the back of the head by Bryson who was walking by.

"We can hug it out once we're off this rock and back on the ship. Private Carver on me, George your section guards the LAV's; they're our only way back."

Carver followed quickly behind the Lieutenant who was already making his way into the cockpits broken window. As he got in, he noticed the body of the pilot and the injured inside and gave a deep sigh.

"Doctor, good to see you're still with us. Get yourself and the wounded into the LAV asap. We're leaving." Bryson ordered.

"Getting the injured out those tiny windows is not just unsafe, but also timely Lieutenant. I must insist that-"

"I sympathize with you doctor, but I speak for the whole platoon when I say 'I want out of this goddamn rain'."

Just as Grove was about to respond, Bryson held out his index finger, asking for silence before pointing it towards the ground.

"Hold that thought doctor, Is the crew door not closed underneath you?"

"Well no, I had to lay down a tarp to prevent dirt infecting the wounds."

"Perfect."

"Perfect, what do you mean perfect?"

"I need you to huddle together as much as possible and not to move. Come along now, Private."

The two climbed back out through the cockpit and returned to the line of LAV's

"What's the plan, sir?" Jack inquired.

"Just watch. LAV TWO, YOU'RE UP!" Bryson called to the furthest LAV. Jack could see the gunner give an impromptu salute in return and exchange words with the driver. Within moments, it began to drive behind the wreck of the Griffon, positioning behind the underside of the fuselage. The LAV advanced, rolling the destroyed Griffon into the upright position, allowing the wounded and Doctor Grove to escape.

Once the LAV moved into its prior position, Bryson raised his radio to his face.

"Brock Actual, this is 2-1 Sunray, sitrep, over."

"2-1 Sunray, send sitrep."

"Brock, we've arrived at the crash site and have secured a handful of survivors including doctor Grove! We're preparing to scuttle the Griffon. Sector is clear."

 _ **CRACK**_

Multiple shots rang out in rapid succession.

"ARGH!" A rifleman guarding the flank dropped to the ground after taking several rounds to the chest.

"Contac-" The soldier was cut off, shot by an unseen hostile.

Two more Soldiers were immediately cut down by gunfire.

The few shots erupted into a sustained fire coming from the tree line. Occasional explosions joined in on the hellfire.

"NOT CLEAR! NOT CLEAR!" Bryson stuffed the radio away and raised his C8. "ENEMY COUNTER ATTACK! RETURN FIRE!"

The column of LAV's rolled out of their previous positions and advanced toward the frontline, firing the 25mm randomly into the forest to repel the attackers. The platoon moved into position, citing the C6 machine gun team to rain heavy fire upon the White Fang.

More enemy contacts emerged from the tree line, engaging the Canadian platoon head on. Their attacks were more ferocious and vigorous, likely rallied. By what, Jack could not tell. Whatever it was, it completely amped up their combat efficiency.

Rounds pinged off the hull of the LAV column. An explosion impacted the lead LAV, bending the

25mm cannon. Without the heavy firepower, it would be up to the infantry to win the fight.

An M203 gunner taking position next to Jack took a round to the shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon. He yelled and gripped his bleeding shoulder.

"MEDIC!" Jack screamed upon taking the Soldier's C7 with an under-mounted M203 to replace the C8 carbine.

Immediately after the young soldier fired a 40mm grenade into the darkness, Corporal Ross came sprinting through the fire while holding down the trigger of his own rifle. The medic knelt down next to the injured soldier and began battlefield treatment.

"We have got to stop meeting this way, doc! People are gonna start to talk!" Jack shouted while changing magazines.

"Just shut up and cover me, Carver!" Ross shoved the Private away.

"Sam! Lay it on em' with the nine!" Farren shouted before diving into the prone position for cover. They would have to gain fire superiority back. Even with Jack utilizing a grenade launcher, the White Fang had the darkness and element of surprise.

"I can't see anything, boss!" Owens did the same, setting up the bipod on a log for support.

"Throw flares then!" Jack yelled while reaching into a pouch. He retrieved a flare and immediately struck the cap, sending a burst of light out the struck end of the flare. The soldier then chucked the glowing stick across the battlefield. The sun would shortly be rising, and mounting them to their helmets would take too long amid a fire fight, making night vision goggles useless in the current situation.

Several more flares illuminated the forest and hostile forces a bright red, making them easy targets. It was easy to distinguish the advancing White Fang soldiers from the tree and brush with light. Their forms were so illuminated Jack could observe their every tactical movement. There were dozens.

One thing, however, caught the entire platoon off guard; In the middle of the clearing, two figures marched towards them. Completely unphased by the firefight.

"What the hell?" Farren muttered.

Jack watched the figures closely. The closer they got, the more the enemy fire dwindled. It took the soldier a moment to notice the White Fang had withdrawn or were simply hiding. He did not know.

"CEASEFIRE!" Bryson shouted, having spotted the possible non-combatants or surrendering enemy.

The Platoon's fire died down upon the order being passed around.

"George, grab your boys, on me now!" The Lieutenant advanced, rifle raised.

"Okay lads, you heard him. Don't let your guard down. Bastards pull anything, put them down."

"Roger." Jack slammed a fresh magazine and another 40mm into his weapon.

The entirety of 2-Section approached their targets in an extended line formation with their weapons raised. The remainder of the platoon was ready to engage at a moment's notice. The two figures stood no chance if they were to try anything.

By the time the section had come within twenty meters of the unknown individuals, the flares deployed by the platoon had been dying off, returning the battlefield to a state of darkness yet again.

"Jack, throw another flare."

Carver complied, reaching into the cargo pocket of his combat pants to retrieve his spare flare. Once struck, the light illuminated his whole body. The soldier lightly tossed the flare halfway between both parties, equally illuminating them.

One male, one female.

Just like the woods…Jack thought to himself and watched them carefully. They were significantly more armored than the standard infantry they had been engaging. Even their masks were different and covered most of their faces. They donned white plated armor decorated with red streaks and the White Fang insignia upon their shoulders. A multitude of ammunition pouches, sheaths and holsters littered their armor. What stood out the most was their wolf like tails protruding from the small of their backs and the ears atop their heads.

Jack's grip tightened around his weapon. He recognized the male one. The enemy patrol commander that had killed Sergeant Travers. It took all of Carver's might to not gun them down where they stood.

"IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" Lieutenant Bryson shouted, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Captain Accalia." The woman spoke. Completely calm despite having ten rifles pointed directly at her less than thirty meters away.

"Lieutenant Fenrir." The stoic man answered the Lieutenant but seemed fixated on the young Private Carver.

"WHO DO YOU WORK FOR? ARE YOU HUNTSMEN?" Bryson inquired, praying that they, no matter how little the chance, would be non-hostile and not affiliated with the enemies that were just engaging them.

"We represent the White Fang."

Bryson grit his teeth and wasted no time laying the ground rules to his attackers. "CAPTAIN ACCALIA, YOU AND YOUR MEN HAVE ATTACKED AND KILLED SEVERAL OF MY MEN, ANY FURTHER ACTION TOWARDS US OR THE HUNTSMEN IN OUR CARE WILL BE MET WITH DEADLY FORCE. AND BELIEVE ME, CAPTAIN, YOU DO NOT WANT TO TEST ME! THIS IS A FIGHT YOU WILL NOT WIN."

"Who are you?" Accalia asked, still calm, completely disregarding Bryson's threat.

Jack and Farren both cocked their eyebrows and looked at one another. The Fang barely considered the soldiers a threat.

"I'm the one asking questions!" Bryson barked, trying to maintain control of the exchange.

"You're not the one in power here." Lieutenant Fenrir spoke up, pointing directly to Bryson. "She is."

"I beg to differ Lieutenant...If you haven't noticed." Bryson gestured to his Platoon. "Our guns are bigger than yours…"

"Your mistake is overestimating your weapons, soldier." Accalia spoke. "I'll ask again. Who are you?"

Jack could feel the world shrink around him. The enemy was calm. Too calm. They spoke to Lieutenant Bryson, a well trained and well-regarded officer, like a child. Sweat trickled down the soldier's spine. He recalled what Ruby said; The white fang was ruthless, fearless and above all else, they could not be trusted.

"My name is Lieutenant Paul Bryson! Commander of first platoon, Bravo company, first battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment!"

"They're not gonna know what that is, Paul!" Master Corporal Farren whispered to the confused Lieutenant, keeping his eyes on the enemy. "Or care!"

"Where do you come from?" Accalia pestered.

"We're not from here!" Bryson gestured all around the group. "We came here looking for some of our people. Now we're stuck here and looking for a way out. That all changed when you attacked us!"

"Answer the question, Lieutenant."

"Show some respect! You're speaking to an officer!" Jack pointed aggressively, breaking his silence.

Captain Accalia slowly turned to face the outspoken Private. Fenrir grumbled aggressively, like a guard dog waiting to be cut loose and ravage the soldier.

Even though she was wearing a helmet, Jack could feel her gaze burning a hole into his head. A cold shiver traveled down Jack's spine as he stared back at Accalia.

"Jack, shut up!" Farren swat the back of Carver's helmet, earning a grunt of discomfort.

"You should learn to keep your men in check, Lieutenant Bryson."

"You let me worry about my own men. Seems like you're the one who needs to be concerned about the state of your men, Captain."

The white fang captain stared the Canadian down. "I'll ask ag-"

"Not from Remnant."

Accalia and Fenrir glanced at each other before looking back to the alien soldiers. Accalia was calm and stood firm, but Fenrir was getting more and more agitated as the conversation drew on. This guard dog was ready to kill.

"Where-"

"Not important, lady." Master Corporal Farren spoke, cutting off the conversation.

Jack had pondered why Farren spoke until he realized; they'd been unintentionally playing right into their hands, giving them information about themselves little by little.

"Jack, get ready."

The voice returned. Jack tried to ignore it and kept his eyes to the front, closely examining his enemy.

"Jack, they are going to attack you."

The soldier hesitated, unsure of what to do. Attacking without being attacked was a war crime, and there was no telling if he was going insane, or if someone really was communicating with him.

Abruptly, his radio crackled.

"Jack! Get everyone into cover! They're coming back around to flank you!" Ruby's voice yelled over the radio.

Fenrir and Accalia instantly looked surprised upon hearing the voice. They must've recognized it.

Jack spun around, looking into the forest, looking for any signs of the enemy. While he could not see them. He could certainly hear them. They were encircling the platoon, if he did not act, they would be surrounded and gunned down.

Jack flicked the safety off of his rifle and took it upon himself to bring the enemy commanders down. He spun around once again while simultaneously raising his C7, preparing to fire at Accalia in particular.

"EVERYBODY MO-"

The Soldier's jaw slacked upon seeing Fenrir and Accalia slashing their way through the lead section with inhuman speed, right towards himself and the Platoon commander. The two white fang warriors dashed through the battlefield ferociously, like a haze of death.

"OPEN FIRE! OPEN FIRE!" Farren took charge and screamed as loud as he could, alerting the remainder of the platoon to the situation.

Once more, the forest was lit up in a sea of gunfire, illuminating everyone's figures.

"TAKE THEM DOWN!" Bryson raised his C8 and began to fire at the advancing enemy command team. They moved too fast for any soldier to track their movements.

"I can't hit them!" Jack fired sporadic bursts in Fenrir and Accalia's general direction.

They were not deterred. Amidst the sporadic lighting from the gunfire and their sheer speed, they were impossible to track.

"CARVER, 40 MIKE-MIKE! NOW, GOD DAMN IT!"

Jack immediately took a knee, breathing heavily. He lifted the grenade launcher and prepared to fire, aligning his sights with the approaching enemy. Carver squeezed the trigger, sending a 40mm grenade hurling towards them.

Fenrir stopped, and simply shifted his upper torso to the left. The projectile passed right by him and exploded several meters behind him.

"...N-No way…" Corporal Owens froze.

"Did he just- WHAT THE HELL?!" Jerome shouldered his rifle, but hesitated to fire upon seeing the failed attempt to kill the enemy.

Fenrir and Jack locked gazes once more. The Faunus growled and burst into another sprint towards the Grenadier.

"Oh shit!"

Jack stood up to fire but it was no use, the enemy was on him in seconds. In the blink of an eye, Fenrir was face to face with Carver and kicked the soldier in the chest, sending him flying back several feet.

"Whoa!" Owens immediately shifted to the side, turning to engage Fenrir.

Fenrir gripped the barrel of the C9 and wrenched it from the Corporal's hands before using it as a bat to sweep his legs.

"ARGH!" Sam dropped like a sack of potatoes while gripping his leg in pain.

Private Lewis and Master Corporal Farren resorted to close quarters combat. Both soldiers let their rifles hang and drew their bayonets.

"TAKE HIM!" Farren shouted and burst into a run, preparing to stab the Faunus.

"ROGER!" Jerome charged as well, running parallel to his section commander.

Fenrir ducked the moment Farren lunged forward. He gripped the Master Corporal's arm and swung him around like he was nothing. He whipped the soldier into the next, knocking both down.

"Now then. Where were we?" Fenrir turned and started to march towards Jack, who was still recovering.

Jack pushed himself up onto a knee and raised his rifle, firing off a few shots. They appeared to just bounce right off Fenrir, a small spark of colored light emanating from his body's surface.

"...What the hell?...What does it take to kill you?!"

"More than you've got, kid." The tall man retrieved a blade from a hip sheath while approaching the downed Private.

A spray of gunfire harassed the beastly Faunus from behind, temporarily garnering his attention. The same red light sparked as the rounds impacted.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY MEN YOU SON OF A BITCH!" An enraged Lieutenant Bryson sprayed the remainder of his C8 before swapping to his sidearm.

"Just don't know when to quit, do you, Lieutenant?" Fenrir rushed the young officer, intent on putting him down for good.

" _Help him, Jack! Go!_ "

Jack grunted and pushed himself up in a burst of energy. His heavy footfalls were drowned out by gunfire, keeping his counter attack unknown. He shouldered his rifle the moment he was at a decent enough range and dumped the magazine into the distracted white Fang Commander. Bryson had been just barely holding his own by evading contact.

Fenrir growled. The bright red aura that surrounded him began to dim, leading Jack to believe that whatever protected the enemy was dying down.

"Got you now, asshole!" Jack swung his rifle, smashing the shoulder stock against the cheek of Fenrir's helmet. Fenrir recoiled, but not as much to let Jack believe he was doing any real damage.

He swung again, once again assaulting the enemy`s head. Carver followed suit by jabbing the barrel of his rifle into Fenrir's gut.

In retaliation, Lieutenant Fenrir easily swat the rifle from the grunt's hands. Jack instinctively drew his handgun and began firing at point blank range, earning a few light flashes before a handful of bright sparks and the sound of a round impacting steel had come. He had broken through his Aura and had begun damaging his actual body armor.

"ARGH, HUMAN VERMIN!" In a fit of rage, Fenrir tightly gripped Carver's throat and lifted him off the ground, choking him.

" _GRK!_ " Jack gasped for air, clawing at Fenrir's hands to try and force the Faunus to release him.

Bryson dove into Fenrir, tackling both men to the ground.

"ACCALIA!" Fenrir shouted loudly before throwing both Carver and Bryson several meters away.

Fenrir drew two handguns and began firing from the hip while withdrawing into the woods.

"PLATOON! TARGET THAT SON OF A BITCH! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!" Bryson screamed out for the platoon to hear.

Almost immediately, the fire shifted towards Fenrir's position, chewing the trees and White Fang members in the direct vicinity apart.

In the blink of an eye, Bryson was knocked to the ground again with a grunt.

"Sir!" Jack spun around and raced over to his commander, thinking he had been shot. "Are you alright?"

Lieutenant Bryson looked himself over before nodding. "Yeah, I'm good!"

Jack extended a hand to help him up. "What the hell happened?"

Private Carver lifted the Lieutenant to his feet and handed the man his Carbine.

"Well whatever it was-CARVER!" Bryson yelled with a horrified expression.

Jack turned to investigate the Lieutenant's warning and time stopped. The Private stood solid as he stared down death. Captain Accalia was mere meters from his face, a large blade at the ready. Even if he managed to raise his weapon fast enough, which he severely doubted he could, Accalia would cut him down the moment he went to engage. She was going to make contact, and would more than likely kill him.

A wave of fear crashed into the soldier as he stared her down, waiting for the blade to carve its way through his kevlar armour and slice through his flesh. However, a red blur caught his gaze, cutting that feeling short. As time seemed to slowly return to its original speed, the soldier focused on the blur as it approached.

"What-"

 _ **CLANG**_

Both Jack and Bryson instinctively flinched and braced for the strike when Accalia was in range, only opening their eyes to investigate why they hadn't been dispatched.

Crescent Rose was blade locked with Accalia's long sword, both wielders struggling to win the clash.

"Ruby!" Jack blurted out in surprise.

The Huntress did not respond. Her teeth were grit and she focused her energy into keeping Accalia locked where she was.

With great haste, Jack scanned the battlefield for his rifle. This was it, he could kill her now while she was distracted by Ruby.

"SISTER!"

Another metal clang rang out. Jack looked over his shoulder to see Crocea Mors' shield form blocking a strike from Fenrir, who made a reappearance to aid Accalia. Bryson and Carver stood in the middle of two stand offs, completely unsure of what to do.

"GET THE WOUNDED BACK TO THE VEHICLES, WE'LL HANDLE THESE TWO!" Jaune yelled, noticing Jack's indecision.

Nora and Ren emerged from the tree line, carrying the C6 they had taken from the helicopter. Nora occasionally squeezed the trigger of the 7.62 machine gun, keeping the heads of the enemy down.

"You heard em' kid! Let's move!" Bryson rushed out of the engagement, barreling straight for the frontline to retrieve the wounded men of the lead section.

Jack hesitated, watching the blades of both sides grind against one another.

"GO, JACK!" Ruby shouted, knowing full well the soldier was still there, wanting to jump into the fray.

"Damn it…" Jack unholstered his sidearm and followed the Lieutenant.

"LAVS MOVE UP!" Bryson screamed while rushing through the gunfire.

The steel death machines rolled up to follow the Platoon commander. Whatever was left of the 25mm ammunition was fired off, followed by the top mounted C6s. The main benefit of moving the armored carriers up was protection from the enemy less than a hundred meters away.

Jack raced past the LAVs to his downed team. The soldier slid on his knees before landing on his stomach to avoid the enemy fire. Private Carver crawled towards the closest soldier; Jerome.

"You okay, buddy?!" Jack grabbed Jerome by the shoulder and shook him.

"...I hate this place…" Private Lewis panted. The man was breathing heavily, likely a result of having the wind knocked out of him.

"What's wrong, where'd he get you?"

"Crazy dude threw a freakin' master corporal at me! Knocked me right on my ass!"

"You'll live." Jack muttered sarcastically before handing the downed soldier his rifle. "Do me a favor! Shoot those pricks!" He pointed towards the tree line.

"You got it, bud!" Jerome rolled over onto his stomach and began to fire.

"CARVER! I'VE GOT FARREN!" Bryson shouted over to the Private. "MOVE UP AND START RECOVERING THE WOUNDED, I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"

"On it, Sir!" Jack sighed and looked ahead, seeing the battle play out. "...Easier said than done…"

He took a deep breath before running forward again. He kept running at full speed until Captain Accalia appeared in front of him, readying her blade to swing.

"WHOA!" Jack ducked. The blade passed right over his head, narrowly missing a decapitating blow.

He spun around and fired his handgun, but Accalia was gone in the blink of an eye. The soldier cursed under his breath and continued on his mission. He came across Owens, who had been gripping his leg and swearing profusely while crawling back towards the LAVs.

"Get up!" Jack lifted him to his feet and shoved his C9 into his chest.

"I'm gonna kill these bastards!" Owens slowly limped back while firing short bursts from the Light Machine Gun.

"Do it then! Cover me!"

After running right into enemy fire, the young private was essentially at the enemy's doorstep. He gripped the drag handle on the farthest wounded soldier, a semi-conscious soldier who had suffered multiple slash wounds from Fenrir and Accalia's initial charge. The man had been mumbling, likely shock from the blood loss.

"Hang on man!"

Upon turning around, Jack could fully witness the battle going on between RNJR and the White Fang commanders. All of them were too fast for anyone to really analyze the skirmish. Only the occasional spark from clashing weapons and red haze from Ruby could be seen. Jack was unsure how he could even fight an enemy like that.

"Stay focused, Jack."

And so he did. He dragged his comrade back behind the LAVs were the casualties were being loaded on. Just outside the lead LAV, Corporal Ross was performing first aid on numerous men before clearing them to be loaded.

"Got another one here, doc!" Jack placed the member of his section down before noticing the Corporal's silence.

He was performing aid on an obviously dead soldier.

"Doc…"

"Carver, give me what you've got in your IFAK! I've got to stabilize-"

"DOC!" Jack shouted at the man.

Corporal Ross looked up at the Private in shock.

"He's dead!"

"No, he's not! I just need to-"

"ROSS!" Jack yelled again, finally getting through to the distressed medic.

Corporal Ross clambered over to the newest casualty and got to work. Jack watched in pity for a few moments before he remembered that RNJR was still fighting. They needed his help. His hands balled into fists.

"I'm borrowing this." Jack took Ross' rifle and marched out from behind the LAV.

The determined soldier took a knee and tried to track his target; Fenrir. The Faunus had fired the shots that killed Sergeant Travers, and now he'd repay the favor.

"Where are you, you son of a bitch…"

The blurs that skirted across the battlefield were impossible to fire on. Even if he was accurate enough to hit one, there was no way to know if he'd hit Ruby or any other member of RNJR. The soldier cursed and stood up, and advanced.

"What the hell are you doing Jack?" Farren peered out from behind the LAV.

Jack proceeded, too focused to even hear the man.

Interrupting his train of thought, Ruby fell to the ground on her back, a red shimmer similar to that of Fenrir's emanating from her body. She winced while on the ground and searched for Crescent Rose. Fenrir moved in for the kill, approaching the downed huntress.

"Shit!" Jack shouldered the rifle and squeezed the trigger.

Nothing. Jack cursed and pulled the charging handle and squeezed again. Nothing.

"You've gotta be shitting me!"

He discarded the rifle, not bothering to waste time trying to fix it and burst into a sprint, unsheathing his bayonet. The White Fang soldier lifted his sword into the air, preparing to impale the huntress. The rest of the team had been too occupied by Accalia to step in. It was up to Jack.

" _JACK, HELP HER!"_

" _RUBY!_ " Jack tackled Fenrir to the ground and thrust his blade forward.

Fenrir shifted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding a killing blow. The knife left a long cut across the White Fang Commander's mask. The soldier's bayonet was thrust with enough strength to plunge the blade several inches into the dirt.

"You again?!"

"Yeah, me again, asshole!" Jack slammed his fist against Fenrir's mask, sending the metal plate flying off the Faunus' head.

The two men were finally face to face. Jack's light brown eyes stared down Fenrir's amber eyes. The livid Faunus glared back at the trooper with grit teeth showing off his razor sharp canines. Fenrir placed his boot against Carver's chest and threw the soldier off.

"You're getting on my nerves kid!"

Jack pushed himself up and charged the enemy soldier. "I must be doing something right then!" Jack swung his fist, making contact with the enemy's jaw. He swung again with a left hook, followed by another right. The soldier relentlessly swung, however, he had little effect on the much bulkier Fenrir.

Abruptly, Fenrir punched the soldier in the jaw, causing the soldier to recoil.

Jack took a few steps back to recover. The soldier spat into the dirt and wiped his face with his soaked sleeve.

Both men rushed at each other simultaneously, preparing to strike the other man. Jack threw a punch, but standard combat training only went so far against actual experience. Fenrir easily dodged and threw the Private over his shoulder, sending him crashing into the ground. Jack grunted and looked up, seeing Fenrir's boot coming down.

"Shit!"

Carver rolled away, just missing the sole of Fenrir's combat boot. Jack recovered to his feet quickly and immediately rushed once again to maintain momentum against his foe. He kicked his opponent in the knee, causing the enemy to grunt and collapse to his knee. Jack fed the Faunus a powerful right hook, hoping that would be the end of it. It was not.

Fenrir punched the soldier in the gut with enough power to force Jack to wince and bend forward. Fenrir quickly got back to his feet and raised his blade again, aiming to bring it down and stab Jack in the spine.

Ruby rolled over Jack's back and fed the Faunus a swift kick, knocking him back.

The rest of RNJR finally got in line after breaking contact with Accalia. Or rather Accalia breaking contact with them.

RNJR and Jack stared down Accalia and Fenrir.

"These jerks are tough!" Nora was catching her breath, understandably gassed by the high-octane fighting.

"We can beat these guys…" Jack equipped his Browning and his Bayonet, dual wielding.

"You're undisciplined, Soldier…" Accalia taunted the private, trying to goad him into striking recklessly.

"Yeah, speak for yourself, Cap. We seem to be doing just fine…"

"PLATOON, FALL BACK TO THE LAVS! WE'RE BUGGING OUT!"

Shouting filled the air and the troops in the surrounding area began to withdraw towards the LAVs.

"What?!" Jack looked over his shoulder. "We had them!"

"You were saying…?" Accalia smirked behind her helmet.

"Jack, maybe we should go! We don't want a repeat of the woods!" Ruby's eyes never left the enemy, fearing a strike should she look away.

"We're severely depleted on Aura and manpower! Getting in the LAVs and withdrawing seems like the best option!" Ren chimed in.

Accalia watched the group before speaking again. "Yes, by all means, leave Jack Carver."

Jack froze. They knew his name. "... _What_..?"

Sure, they must have heard the others speaking to him. But it was never good when the enemy had your name...it meant they would remember who he was.

"We know who you are as well, Huntsmen." Fenrir spoke up, wiping a spot of blood from his lip. "You were all there, at Beacon. Weren't you?"

"...Y-Yeah...I think you guys are right...Time to bug out!" Jack lifted his handgun and fired off the magazine, hoping to cut their rant short before hightailing it towards the LAV column. The Huntsmen and Huntresses did the same, emptying what ammo they had left towards the Commanders to suppress them before falling back towards the LAVs.

The team, under cover from the withdrawing platoon, found their way into one of the three LAVs, taking their seats in the cramped vehicle. Despite knowing that breaking contact with Accalia and Fenrir was likely the wiser decision, Carver couldn't see the reasoning behind pulling back from a battle they had appeared to be winning.

"Why are pulling back?! We had those pricks on the ropes!" Jack demanded an answer, waiting for an answer from anyone.

"Don't be cocky, Carver." Farren spoke up while holding his injury. "We were taking casualties, too many."

"But we had them!"

"Doesn't matter if we won! If no one was left standing, it means nothing! Use your head!"

"Primary objective was to rescue survivors, that's done. Secondary objective is to scuttle the Griffon. And that's coming right up." Bryson reached for a radio at the front of the LAV. "Staying and losing men makes no sense. I admire your drive, but try to see the bigger picture."

Jack started to piece things together, seeing both points made by the Master Corporal and the Lieutenant. He began to realize why they were the leaders, and why he was a Private.

"Brock actual! This is 2-1 Sunray, request immediate fire mission at crash site coordinates! Heavy strike package! I say again, heavy strike package at crash site coordinates!" Bryson spoke into the radio.

"Roger 2-1 Sunray, we're loading up the strike package now, however, you are at Danger Close position, fall back immediately to avoid being caught in the strike!"

"Copy that, Brock! Just bring the sky down on these assholes!"

The platoon commander slammed his fist against the driver's hatch and yelled as loud as he could. "GUN IT, SERGEANT!"

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK**

"2-1 Sunray to Brock Actual, we are at minimum safe distance. You are clear to execute fire mission. I say again execute fire mission!"

Listening on the other end of the line, Dietz gave a thumbs to the TAO in the other side of the room

"Affirmative 2-1, strike package is inbound. Hold on to your teeth." Dietz switched off the radio and moved to the command center where TAO was waiting. "TAO, you have permission to fire. Two rounds from the Mark. 45, 60 degrees off the starboard bow. Friendlies in the area."

"TAO confirms, two shots marked 60 degrees. Danger close, shots away."

 **LAV 2-1**

Jack never heard to shells leave the Brocks naval artillery gun, neither did he hear them sail overhead, but he would have needed to be deaf to not hear them hit the ground. He never saw what remained of the crash site he had fought to defend, he could only imagine. Even though they had reached minimum safe distance, the LAV shook with a vengeance. Jack loved the infantry, but he needed to give credit where it was due, that gun was a menace that he'd hate to be on the other side of. He prayed that Fenrir and Accalia would be caught in the explosion. He doubted heavily that many men would survive another engagement with them.

"Everybody alright?" Bryson inquired The men answered with an unenthusiastic yes as they repositioned themselves in their seats. "Alright, we're not that far out from the Brock, sit tight and we'll be back in no time."

Jack sat silently, staring at the wall.

"Jack, you okay buddy?" Jerome shook him.

"...They know my name…"

"...What?"

"Accalia, the White Fang Captain. She said my name. I fought with Fenrir, he knows my face."

"...Well...with any luck, we won't have to worry about it. Those punks have been blown sky high by the Navy. Captain Dietz stole your kill, bud."

 _Jack Carver: Journal Entry 4_

 _What a damn day. First I'm voluntold to babysit Doctor Grove, then I'm shot out of my Helicopter by half man, half animal terrorists, followed by a firefight that almost killed me. I'd kill to go home right-_

Jack stopped writing, remembering the White Fang soldier that rushed him with her sidearm, her face as he killed her. He knew it was part of the job description to kill, but nothing prepared him for that. Worse off, he knew he'd be called upon to do it again.

 _-now. God I hope command has a plan, we can't keep doing this reactionary stuff, we have to do something else. I remember Ruby mentioning the Kingdoms they have here, four of them. Maybe they can help. In any event, I just want to have a shower and sleep for the next day._

As the LAVs returned to the Brocks position, the men filed out one by one. Jack insisted on being last, following Farren as the last man out. He stepped out to witness the Brocks UAV land on deck in the distance. The platoon had set up a small military presence on coast adjacent to the Brock, a few sandbags, and LAVs as gatekeepers. Jack stopped briefly before continuing on, taking in a sight he never thought he'd see again. Atop the Brocks island, waved a Canadian flag, illuminated by the sunrise on the horizon. Jack never felt so happy to see the Navy in his life.

"Carver, you alright?" Farren called back.

"I'm fine." Jack responded while keeping his eyes forward, picking up his pace again.

Farren took note of the short tone. Carver always included rank when addressing higher ranking soldiers. He was a relatively new soldier, it was what he did.

"Well, let's go then. These terrorists aren't going to kill themselves."

"Not the ones in this world anyway…" Owens mumbled under his breath.

As Jack walked with his section, he felt a tug at his sleeve. He turned to see Owens standing behind him.

"Hmm?" Jack pondered.

"I've been wrong about you."

"What?" The private cocked an eyebrow.

"This whole time, I've doubted you, been downright condescending."

"I'm used to it, it's not a problem, Corporal."

"No, it is a problem. You've proved to everyone here that you're capable. Hell, I'd say you were made for this. And Jack...I'm sorry. I should have trusted you as a member of my section. I should have had faith in your survival as your 2IC. I failed you, and it won't happen again. That's a promise."

Completely taken back by the Corporal's rant, Jack just stared at him, mouth slightly agape in surprise.

"...Where's this coming from?"

"I saw what you did. How you rushed into fire to come get us. How you rushed in and had the balls to go head to head with those freaks, you fought in close quarters with the goliath to protect the Huntress for god's sake. Let's just say a salty corporal has realized what kind of man you are."

With that, Owens limped away, taking his place next to Master Corporal Farren at the head of the Section.

The platoon strode into the temporary FOB slightly defeated. The rescue was a success and the chopper was scuttled, but men had lost their lives and they engaged a new enemy that was unlikely to relent. It was hardly a victory.

Jack broke off from the group. While they were making their way towards medical aid, Carver instead climbed on top of a Hesco box and stared into the ocean water that the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock resided in. The soldier placed his rifle and helmet down next to him and buried his face into his palms. A week ago he was in Petawawa living every seventeen year old's dream; getting paid to blow stuff up and shoot machine guns. Now, he was caked in the blood of his friends and the blood of people he killed. Not Grimm. People. He tried his best to not personify the enemy, it would tear him apart if he did, but a part of him would always know what he did. What he wouldn't give to go home.

His breathing became rapid and shallow while his mind replayed how close he came to death on several occasions as well as the faces of every White Fang soldier he killed, the faces of every comrade he failed to save and how close he came to failing to save Ruby. And just who or what the hell had been communicating with him? Was he going insane already? The yelling and rumbling of vehicles in the distance grew to a deafening roar, making thinking impossible. He wanted to scream.

"Jack?"

It was quiet again and his breath normalized. The soldier brought his hands down from his face and looked to see who called out to him. Ruby and Ren approached him, having noticed his isolation from the rest of the group.

"Are...you alright?" The two warriors climbed atop the Hesco barrier, sitting with the soldier.

"I'll be okay...just... _sour_ and shaken up about the last twenty-four hours…Gotta get it all out of my system is all."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Ruby sighed. "Didn't like heights enough as it was. Now you're gonna have trouble getting me on another airship."

"How's the team holding up? You all okay?"

"No one was hurt in the crash. A few scrapes and cuts from the fight, hence why Jaune and Nora aren't here. But, that White Fang whack job didn't get me….Thanks to you."

"...It...It was nothing." Jack scratched the back of his neck after a slight red pigment came to his face.

"Don't disregard your actions, Jack. You fought Fenrir to protect your men, and us. We're grateful-"

"I killed today." The soldier spouted abruptly. "Not Grimm."

Ruby cocked a brow. He had said it as if they would be surprised by this fact. They had seen it with their own eyes. The soldier in question had killed yes, but in self-defence.

"Then there was Fenrir. He killed Sergeant Travers and Master Corporal Fazekas in the woods. That angered me to no end. I didn't feel like myself when I stood up to fight. Then you found again you saved my life, Ruby. I felt so useless today."

Ruby was about to speak up, interject and say that he would do the same. That he did do the same. But Ren put a hand on her forearm, signaling her to let the Soldier speak.

"So when he attacked us by the chopper. When he tore through our section with Accalia, when he got you on the ground. I had to do something. I wasn't going to let him do it. Even though I thought I was going to die." Jack's eyes met the sand of the beach. "I just...ran at him. I wanted to help. So I just attacked."

The two warriors listened to Jack get out his feelings on the subject.

"He was so much stronger than I was. Stronger, more experienced, more disciplined and likely better trained. There was no way I was going to win that fight. I was tired and injured. It was reckless to attack, especially in hand to hand. It was stupid and I don't really know what came over me."

Jack turned his attention away from the water, now facing Ruby and Ren.

"But you know what." Jack looked terrified by his own feelings. "I'd do it again." He looked down at the sand again. "I'm not suicidal or anything. But it was the right thing to do. You needed my help, and there was no way I was going to back down...Because-"

"Because you're a good person. A hero."

Jack chuckled slightly at the concept. "I wouldn't go that far."

The RCR Private shook his head, snapping out of his rant.

"Anyways enough of that...Another weird thing happened today…"

"What?"

"Now this is gonna sound crazy."

"Crazier than other worldly soldiers arriving in Remnant and start shooting the place up within a week?"

"...Touchè…Okay so when I was in the forest, I swear I heard a voic-"

"Private Carver!" Lieutenant Bryson combed the camp, shouting Jack's name.

"Sir!" Jack looked over his shoulder, trying to locate the Platoon Officer.

"On me, kid!" Bryson tapped the top of his head, giving the Canadian Forces' hand signal for forming up.

"Roger!" Jack leapt off the Hesco barrier, grabbing his equipment as he did.

"Bring Ruby." Bryson shouted once more before walking toward the shoreline.

Jack stopped, turning to face Ruby who looked equally as confused. He beckoned her to join him.

The Huntress slid down from the hesco box and took her place next to Jack.

"I'll keep a watch on Jaune and Nora." Ren raised his thumb, pointing back towards the temporary camp.

"Call me on the scroll if you need anything."

Ruby and Jack proceeded down the beach towards Lieutenant Bryson in silence, either not entirely sure what to say after such a day. Instead, they exchanged awkward smiles every time they looked at each other to find something to say.

Ruby was not sure if she should try to console the soldier on the loss of his comrades and what he had to do, or thank him for his bravery.

Jack, on the other hand, was still over thinking the conflict all while being completely oblivious as to what to say to a woman. He was awkward. Thankfully, Lieutenant Bryson and Doctor Grove came to his rescue in the form of meeting them halfway.

"You called, Sir?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Lieutenant Colonel Reid and Captain Dietz have requested to speak with the four of us as soon as possible." Bryson looked equally unsure.

"Why?" Ruby tilted her head.

"They want to know what we're up against." Grove scratched his chin while looking out towards the Brock. "You three fought against our attackers head on. And I'm the scientist whose apparently the most experienced other than you, Private Carver."

"I'd put my money on that, Doctor." Bryson nodded.

In the distance, a RHIB assault craft manned by Naval Boarding Party operators raced towards the mainland.

"I'm guessing that's our ride?" Ruby asked, to which Bryson nodded. "Well, at least it's not a helicopter."

Even Doctor Grove and Jack managed to get a slight chuckle from Ruby's comment.

"Let's just go see what the bosses want."

 **THIRTY MINUTES LATER**  
 **NORTHERN COAST OF VALE**  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **COMMISSIONED RANKS MESS**

The group of four approached the door to the Officer's mess with Bryson taking point. The door was already open, letting them all know that the command team had already been waiting. Bryson stopped just before entering, taking a deep breath before coming to attention at the door. He glanced in, seeing Lieutenant Colonel Reid and Captain Dietz writing on their note pads.

"Permission to enter, Sir." Bryson raised his voice, garnering their attention.

"Lieutenant, please, come in."

"Thank you, Sir."

Bryson walked in, followed by Jack, Ruby and Doctor Grove.

"Why is it that you look worse every time you come in here, son?" The Lieutenant Colonel addressed the stoic and bloodied Private. While his comment was humorous in nature, the Battalion commander wanted to know what his men went through.

"Part of the job, sir." Jack answered and took a seat next to Ruby and the Lieutenant.

"Miss Rose, Doctor Grove, thank you for joining us." Captain Dietz nodded, showing his appreciation to the two guests.

"Begging your pardon, Sir." Bryson started. "But why did you call us here?"

Lieutenant Bryson came off more aggressive than intended, however, he had to tend to his men. He was a busy man.

"We called you here." Reid gestured to the crowd. "To learn about what happened. Who we just fought and bled against."

Jack slowly looked down to his combats, still filthy from mud and blood. Most of it, not his.

"Doctor Grove, seeing how you were the Scientist of this failed expedition attempt, we would like to hear your perspective of what happened. Help us paint a picture of what happened these last few hours, we've been going off reports."

"Well, Captain. We left for the scouting operation, and I had been taking a few notes regarding the landscape we were passing over when an aggressive alarm began to blare. The pilots began to yell. Next thing I knew we were going down, anti-air if I am correct."

The doctor began to list off the remainder of the night after he regained consciousness, all the way until the present meeting with scary detail.

"Miss Rose, is this how you would also describe the events leading up to the battle?"

The Huntress, who had been unusually silent during the meeting jumped up in her chair upon being addressed. She nodded.

"Yes, Captain! Once we recovered from the crash, I went out with Jaune and Aiden to find survivors that fell out during the crash….We...only found Jack."

"Which leads me to our next question actually. Private Carver."

Jack looked up. He had his palms clasped together and he had been gazing endlessly at the table top.

"Sir."

"Can you describe to us the events which brought you to the Griffon crash site? Why did the White Fang engage you?"

"Sir, as described by Ruby, a few of us had fallen from the chopper as it made its way towards the ground. I was one of them. I woke up a while after the crash as I hadn't heard the gunshots that came from Master Corporal Fazekas' last stand."

Jack sighed and continued.

"I linked up with a Sniper, Sergeant Travers, and we tried to find the crash site when we came across White Fang soldiers. They engaged us on sight. No diplomacy. We took care of them and managed to stay hidden for a while, until...Fenrir found us. Sergeant Travers was killed shortly after."

The entire room seemed to grow silent at the mention of Fenrir.

"Who is Fenrir?" Dietz asked.

"A White Fang Lieutenant, Sir." Bryson answered. "The bastards have a command structure similar to ours. He commanded the enemy platoon we encountered. He's their version of me. Or was, if that Arty strike worked out."

"Don't forget about Captain Accalia, Lieutenant." Grove shivered in his seat.

"Accalia." Reid wrote a few things on his note pad. "Continue."

"Accalia was the real leader out there. She showed no fear, no discomfort when engaging us." Bryson corrected himself.

"...What are we dealing with out there?"

Bryson and Grove turned their gazes to Ruby and Jack, the individuals who engaged the enemy commanders the most. Jack slowly removed his Mechanix M-Pacts and displayed his right fist. His knuckles were bloodied and bruised. Both his hands shook in pain.

"I hit that son of a bitch with everything I could muster." Carver shook his head. "He hardly felt a thing. I couldn't even shoot them. They were too fast for even experienced men like Master Corporal Farren to hit. They tore through an entire section in a matter of seconds."

"Their damage resistance comes from their Aura." Ruby spoke up.

The rest of the room stared, confused. RNJR had only briefly gone over Aura with the Private, leaving much information to be explained later in greater detail.

"Go on, please, Miss Rose." Dietz gestured.

"An Aura is the manifestation of a person's soul...I think that's how they put it...Everyone has one, and it can be used as a protective barrier if the person is adept enough to harness it."

"Everyone? So in theory, everyone we fight could have a barrier that we can't penetrate?"

"Nope! Not quite." Ruby searched for a way to explain it better. "It can be broken with enough pressure. Taking that damage drains a person's energy and will remove it. I even had mine broken during the fight…"

"Even after I broke his Aura barrier, the bastard was tough to hurt." Jack added.

"If I understand young Miss Rose correctly." Doctor Grove pondered. "Everyone has what Ruby refers to as a Remnant soul. Therefore, in theory, everyone we come across could have this barrier, but only if the person is capable of utilizing their Aura defensively…"

"Yeah, that's it!" Ruby pointed to the doctor, who had hit the nail on the head. "An aura is also tied in with a person's semblance, which is a power unique to that person. Mine is speed."

"So...our solution to heavily defended and offensively capable enemies is to... _shoot them more_?" Reid put a hand on his forehead and sighed. "This puts us at a significant disadvantage...We're already being pushed due to manpower and limited resources but this just worsens the situation."

"Not so fast, Colonel." Dietz put a hand on the Lieutenant Colonel's shoulder. "What about us?"

Ruby raised a brow.

"You said everyone has one, correct? Could we possibly have aura's and learn to use them defensively?"

Ruby took a few moments to process the question, hypothesizing and wondering. "...I...don't know…I had Ren try to unlock Jack's aura the night we found him after we applied first aid, but we couldn't do it...maybe it has to with being a Remnant native? I don't really know."

"It would make sense." Grove started. "We are foreign bodies after all."

"So to summarize. Our biggest threat may not be the Grimm? But this White Fang insurgency?"

"Hard to say, Sir." Bryson interjected. "We saw what the Grimm was capable of on the beachhead. They were juggernauts too, and we managed to ward them off."

"With all due respect, Sir, the Grimm didn't shoot back." Jack pointed to the bloody tear in his combat shirt.

"What are you suggesting, Private Carver?"

"Sir, it's not my place nor say regarding what we do...But again, with respect, I'm tired of going out, getting our asses kicked, watching men die and then figuring out what to do about it after the fact. We'll all be dead in a month. We can't keep combing the woods for answers. We have to find a settlement, or maybe even one of the four kingdoms. Maybe they could help."

"Was that not the point of the Griffon flight in the first place?"

"I have to agree with Private Carver, Captain." Doctor Grove took the young soldier's side. "A simple reconnaissance flight like the one we originally embarked on may not be our best option anymore, even if my curiosity wishes to explore everything. The main goal should be to find a settlement and rally our efforts into finding a way home and defending ourselves from the White Fang or the Grimm."

Dietz pondered for a few minutes before speaking again. "Thank you, all of you. You've given us a lot to think about and a perspective as to what we're dealing with. Is there anything else anyone would like to end before we call it a day?"

Jack was about to speak up and mention the voice, but opted against it. The accusations against his sanity would be unreal.

"Very well. This meeting is adjourned. All of you get some rest. And Lieutenant Bryson, tell your men the have the next two days off…" Dietz spoke while looking at the dirty Private. "...Your men need a break…"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you." Bryson nodded before exiting the room with the other three guests.

The four stood outside the officer's mess for a few moments, each going over the content of the meeting in their heads. It was Doctor Grove who left first, claiming he had work to do. Bryson was next, patting the soldier on the shoulder and telling him to get some rest. Only Jack and Ruby remained.

"Jack...Do you...wanna get some food at the mess?" The girl asked, a hand on her empty stomach.

Jack looked up to the huntress nodded with a small smile. "I'd like that."

 **OFFICERS MESS**

"Auras, semblances, an organized militia hell bent on killing us; this place just keeps getting better and better." Dietz laid back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

"It does seem that we came at a bad time." Reid joked

"You know, if we get back-"

"When, we get back."

"Right, when we report back to the chiefs back home they'll think we've gone mad. I mean, this has gotten way out of hand."

"Agreed, but what can we do? Private Carver is right, we need to start making friends here. We don't need more enemies."

Dietz stood up from his chair and began to pace around the room.

"Agreed. Where should we start?"

"That Kingdom to the north has an army, a large one if I remember correctly. They are the most likely to be of help."

"It's risky, if something goes wrong I don't want to start a war with Remnants equivalent to the United States."

"Then we aim for smaller. A settlement that has a small defence force, not one of the kingdoms. Or maybe a smaller Kingdom. One or the other."

"Yes, that's good."

Dietz walked over to the phone mounted in the corner of the room and dialed the bridge

"Bridge, this is the CO, put the XO on please."

"What's the plan?"

Dietz covered the mic end of the phone and turned to Reid

"Don't know yet, but I want to put this rock to our fantail and put as much distance between us and these bastards as possible." Dietz removed his hand and turned back towards the phone;

"XO, as soon as we know were watertight, make course ten degrees port and come all ahead two-thirds to open sea. We're blowing this popsicle stand"

 **UNKNOWN TIME**  
 **GRIFFON CRASH SITE**

The white fang commander laid silently on her back, forced down by a tremendous explosion. Her armor was scarred, scratching off the paint finish and denting the steel plating. The only sign of life coming from the warrior was the steady rise and fall of her chest plate. Her hand slowly crept up and removed her mask, allowing the fresh air to wash over her face.

"Sister!? Accalia!"

Fenrir rushed over to the fallen commander.

"Are you alright?" The Lieutenant looked over his older sister for wounds, only finding dents in her armor.

"I'm alright, little brother...barely."

"Gods, you scared me. The enemy soldiers called in an artillery strike by the looks of it...Not many of us are left. A squad or two at most."

Fenrir extended his hand to his sister, helping her up and dusting off her armor.

"Are you hurt?" Accalia asked while examining the aftermath of the battle. Her men, or what was left of her men, were recovering their dead and recuperating.

"The Cretans managed to deplete my aura, but nothing too serious came of it. Just a few bruises from that little pest."

"We need to tell Commander Taurus about this...They put up a greater fight than anticipated."

"Did you hit your head, Alia? We defeated them, had they stayed we would have decimated them."

"Don't be so sure, little brother. Look at the bigger picture...The enemy had an objective, likely to recover their wounded from the airship. The moment that task was completed, they fell back. Contrary to what that soldier said, I don't believe engaging us head on was their task…"

"Then what do you recommend? Should we pursue?"

"No." Accalia shook her head while observing what was left of the downed helicopter, now rubble and bent metal. "We rearm, we regroup, we inform Commander Taurus of what we learned; how they fight, who they are. And then we wait."

"This is ridiculous, we should be focusing on the academies like the original plan. Not wasting our time with these aliens."

"Something tells me that these men will be a problem in the not so distant future. Considering the silver eyed girl was with them."

Fenrir sighed, he had completely forgotten about the other warriors. He had been so focused on the soldier he had engaged in the woods and then once again at the crash site.

"If the huntsmen are with them, this could only spell delays for our coming operations. Think back to how ferociously the aliens fought when you almost killed the Huntress."

"Then we deal with them. Soon."

"On that, little brother, we agree."

* * *

 _A/N: And that does it for this chapter. To make up for how long this chapter took to get out, we doubled the length, we hope you forgive the delay, but as stated above, internet was an issue. As the march towards chapter 9 begins, know that we will not make it this long to ensure that it has a reasonable release date. Despite how long it took, this chapter had very fun elements to write, especially the newly unveiled Captain Accalia and Lieutenant Fenrir. Starwarsmast3r and I have been waiting for the right moment to unveil these two and we hope this was the right time. In due time, we'll explain lots about them as well as the design process behind them. For now, we're immediately starting work on chapter 9!_

 _Thanks again for your patience, everyone!_

* * *

 **GLOSSARY OF TERMS**

 **REGIMENTS:**

RCR- The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
PPCLI- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
R22R- The Royal 22e Régiment, or The Royal 22nd Regiment (Commonly known as: The Van Doos); the third and final Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army. (We haven't mentioned this Regiment as of this chapter, but we thought it was important to put down).  
JTF2- Joint Task Force 2, Canadian Tier 1 Special Forces.

 **STRUCTURE:**

BATTALION- An organization of rifle companies and a support company. (Usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel)  
COMPANY- An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon. (Usually commanded by a Captain or Major)  
PLATOON- An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment. (Usually commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or full Lieutenant)  
SECTION- A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad") (Usually commanded by a Sergeant or a senior Master Corporal)  
FIRE TEAM- A team of 2 soldiers (Commanded by the most senior member of the fireteam)

 **COMMAND:**

IC- Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)  
2IC- Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)  
CM- Commissioned Member. A Canadian Forces member who holds a commission from the Queen or reigning Monarch of England. Typically known as "Officers" (2nd Lieutenant and above)  
NCM- Non-Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)

 **GEAR:**

CADPAT- Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc).  
COMBAT SHIRT- A combat shirt is different from the traditional military top. It is a top designed to be worn beneath heavy sweat inducing body armour. The torso is made of a soft, moisture wicking material similar to that of Under Armour to provide comfort. The arms are made of traditional uniform material and still have the CADPAT camouflage printed on them. (For a visual, search "Cadpat Combat Shirt" on google images).  
TAC VEST- Short for Tactical Vest. Tactical Vests are load bearing equipment that hold useful supplies for soldiers. Specifically ammunition, grenades and medical supplies.  
IFAK- Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest.  
FRAG VEST- The Canadian Forces' Frag Vest is designed to protect against fragmentation, however has since seen an upgrade featuring slots for ballistic plates to protect the wearer's vital organs from ballistic weapons.  
LEVEL 3+ PLATES- Ballistic plates designed by AR500 Armor, provides significant protection from firearms (slots into the Frag Vest).  
MECHANIX M-PACT- The M-Pact series glove has individual thermoplastic rubber finger guards to protect against blunt force trauma against the hands and fingers as well as reinforced index finger and thumb pieces to increase grip on tools or weaponry.

 **INFANTRY WEAPONS: - *NEW ENTRIES***

C7A2- Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. Similar platform to the US Armed Forces' M4 and M16 series. 5.56x45mm round.

C8- Carbine variant of the C7A2. (Shorter barrel length than the full sized C7A2).

C9A2 LMG- Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249

C6 GPMG- The C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon, however, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III

BROWNING HI-POWER- Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however, on deployments, they are issued to common troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power, not 'High' Power oddly enough). Chambered in 9mm.

M203- Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade.

C-13- Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.

FOURTY MIKE MIKE- Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.

THE 9- Slang for the C9A2 LMG

CARL GUSTAV- The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.

M32 MGL- A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps).

C14 TIMBERWOLF- The Timberwolf is the Sniper Rifle used by the Infantry's sniper units. It is a bolt action rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum _**-*NEW***_

 **NON-INFANTRY WEAPONS:**

JDAM- The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground.

MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY- Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations.

25MM CANNON- The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"

ARTY- Short for Artillery.

AA- Anti-Air

 **VEHICLES:**

CF-18- Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.

MILCOT- Military Commercial Off the Shelf (Military acquired vehicles)

CH-146 GRIFFON- The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-use utility helicopter of the Huey family, designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant for the Canadian Armed Forces

CH-148 Cyclone- The CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations and is intended to replace the venerable CH-124 Sea King, which has been in operation since 1963. Primarily operated by the RCAF

LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT- The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military.

SEA KING- The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian Naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces since 1963.

SEA AVENGER- Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.

LAV- Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry

RHIB- Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow

HMCS ALGONQUIN- Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification.

HMCS BONAVENTURE- Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy.

After a service of 14 years, she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.

HMCS ENDEAVOUR- Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.

HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK- Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed wing aircraft.

HMCS VICTORIA- One of four long-range hunter-killer (Sub-Surface Killer) submarines of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia.

USS PENNSYLVANIA- SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad.

 **POLITICAL:  
**  
PM- Prime Minister of Canada  
MND- Minister of National Defence  
CDS- Chief of the Defence Staff  
NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organization  
J.A.G- Judge Advocate General. Entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.

 **NAVAL TERMINOLOGY: - *NEW ENTRIES***

BOW- Front of a boat

CIC- Combat Information Center

CVN- Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.

CIWS- (Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome like housing.

C.O- Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain. Typically the "Captain" has the rank of Commander despite being the "Captain" (Senior Officer) of the vessel. (Confusing, right?)

EMP- Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range

X.O- Second in Command of the Vessel. Typically the X.O. holds the rank of Lieutenant-Commander

FANTAIL- Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel

FLANK SPEED- Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.

HELM/HELMSMAN- Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. Helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgement calls on behalf of officers.

HMCS- Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.

ISLAND TOWER- The bridge tower on the starboard side of the vessel. Primary entrance and exit for those on the flight deck.

KNOT- Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.

NAV/ NAVIGATION OFFICER- Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control and listening stations.

OOW- Officer of the Watch. Also acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.

PORT- Left-hand side of the ship

REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES- Safety protocols to protect the engines from long term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.

TAO- (Tee- aee-oh) Tactical Operations Officer who is in charge of coordinating fire control on a naval vessel.

QUIET ORDERS- Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing

the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.

STARBOARD- Right-hand side of the ship

STERN- Back of a ship

CONN- The Conn is the act of controlling a ships movements while at sea - _ ***NEW***_

 **BASES:**  
  
CFB PETAWAWA- Headquarters for 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment.  
CFB ESQUIMALT- Headquarters for the Canadian Pacific Fleet. Located on Victoria Island, British Columbia.  
CFB HALIFAX- Headquarters for the Canadian Atlantic Fleet. Located in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  
UNS BASE GUAM- United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance

 **MISC:**

DANGER CLOSE- A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position. Within 500m of the unit in question.

BMQ- Basic Military Qualification that ALL Canadian Forces members (Regardless of trade they chose) must go through prior to trade training (An Infantry soldier must do BMQ before going on his/her Infantry course)  
OPERATION OVERLORD- The Allied assault on Normandy on June 6th 1944 during the Second World War. Regarded as the largest amphibious assault in human history.

AAR- After Action Report

CCP- Casualty Collection Point

FOB- Forward Operating Base

CONCERTINA WIRE- Coils of barbed wire  
ACK- Acknowledged

ROG- Roger  
TRIAGE- Triage is the process of determining the priority of patient treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately.  
VSA- Vital Signs Absent. Reported when an individual has no pulse.

HE- High Explosive round capable of intense damage.

IMP- Individual Meal Pack - A ration pack containing heatable food, snacks, and beverages for a single soldier

REVEILLE- A signal to arise. Often meaning the wake-up call or signal to get up.

SOP- Short for Standard Operating Procedure. A predetermined method of dealing with certain scenarios.


	9. Are we not Queen's Men?

_A/N: Hey everyone, Volume 5 Episode 1 is live, as is the Yang character short! Good stuff is coming from Rooster Teeth! Can't wait to watch it all and continue to work on the story._

 _On another note, we've been looking to communicate and interact with you guys and the rest of the RWBY community in a more efficient way other than PM. So we've been thinking of some possible game nights on Steam or Xbox, something along those lines. It was a quick thought I had while playing Left 4 Dead 2 with RWBY mods installed. Let us know what you think of this idea, and we'll see about setting up a night. Could be a chance for some Q/A's or something like that too._

 _So we just noticed that Monday was the story's first birthday...ouch...so we're putting the pedal to the floor to speed up getting these out, and we think that we may HAVE to cut the length. You see, when you have 20,000-word chapters and try to make your edits in the doc manager with a grammar plugin...it tends to crash or freeze... a lot...So this was supposed to be up early Monday, but we kept running into trouble, so sorry about that. So instead its uploaded today on my birthday, so there's that?_

* * *

 ** _RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land_**

 _Chapter 9: Are we not Queen's Men?_

* * *

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **FLIGHT DECK  
** **EARTH TIME - 0942 HOURS**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

"Riiiiight _….there_." Jerome's hand shot up, pointing out over the edge of the flight deck.

"Hmm? What?" Jack was enthralled by the ocean waves, enjoying the short period of time off duty granted by Reid and Dietz.

Both soldiers only donned their basic CADPAT uniforms, opting for a more relaxed apparel as opposed to their smelly, sweat and blood-drenched combat shirts and body armor. Carver spent his time atop the ship, writing in his journal, staring out at the water and speaking to passersby. His most common partners in conversation were Ruby, and of course, his friend Private Lewis.

Jack continued to look out at the water, using the waves to distract himself from the stresses of the previous days. The crash, and of course the voice in his head. He had not heard it since that night, resulting in him chalking it up to a head injury. He was brought out of his trance by his friend's outburst.

"That! Right there!" Private Lewis pointed with more emphasis.

Jack turned his head, looking towards where the other soldier had been pointing. A cusp of land just starboard of the Brock, maybe a mile or two away at most.

"...What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"That's where I'll put it." Jerome's lips curled into a warm smile as he gazed at the territory he marked with his finger.

"Put what?" Jack cocked a brow, completely oblivious as to what the soldier was talking about.

"My house. Hidden away with a great view? Look at that, coastal view with a forest to the rear and a few acre property? I'd _kill_ for that man."

Jack began to recall Lewis' rant about a house he'd build once he would release from the army after a long and fulfilling career. Carver had originally credited the rants to a lack of sleep and being fed up with folding hospital corners onto their beds during basic training in Valcartier, Quebec. But now he knew Jerome was being serious about it.

"Hmph, not bad. Could do without the hills back there. And y'know...the monsters."

"Hey man, I can't afford to be picky. That's the spot. Exactly how I pictured it. Besides, why get rid of the hills? Assuming the snowfall during the winter is thick enough, could do some tobogganing there. The lake would freeze over, play some hockey. Winter wonderland, summer paradise. Sounds like a win-win to me."

"Buddy I don't wanna burst your bubble, but I'd wait to build your house."

"Why? You know Bradford from 3-Section will claim that land the moment he gets a chance. Real estate like that?! It's a hot market, Jack. That'll be gone in no-time."

"Well, he can have it if he wants. I'd wait till' we're in a less…'not-earthy' environment? Y'know?"

"Jack, we haven't found a way back and no one's found a way to contact us in more than two weeks. And come on, at least the locals are pretty cute, eh? You can bring a special someone over for dinner by the lake, _eeeh_?" Jerome nudged Jack in the side with his elbow, trying to make the idea sound more appealing.

"Oh, don't give me that!" Jack waved his hand, completely ignoring the last comment. "We spent more than two weeks in the field in Petawawa without resupply or relief! We just need time to figure this out. I'm sure someone's realized by now what's happening! Or you know, Grove and the higher-ups will have an idea. Besides, we've got RNJR. We'll be fine."

"This is a whole lot different than a two-week exercise, Jack." Jerome sighed and looked out at the ocean again.

"Believe me, I realize that." Jack rolled up his sleeve, showing the other soldier his plethora of bruises and healing cuts. His hands balled into fists, displaying the red sores around his knuckles where he struck Fenrir.

 _ **CRACK**_

A barrage of gunfire filled the air. Jerome kept his eyes front, however Carver snapped his head to the side to investigate the origin of the shots. Instinctively, his hand immediately went for his sidearm. His thumb was already around the pistol grip, his index finger found the release clasp on the holster and his eyes examined the deck.

"Are you gonna do that every single time? They've been at it for hours, man." Lewis groaned, sounding almost annoyed with the Grenadier.

Multiple sailors and soldiers lined up along the length of the flight deck, all equipped with an arsenal of C7's, C8's, C9's and even a handful of C6's. The collection of men and women had been firing off the side of the ship, towards the water. An order had come down from the command team; all members of the expedition were to be run through weapon handling refreshers should the need arise to deploy primarily non-combat members into the field to supplement the Infantry. The staff running the refreshers were dominantly Infantrymen like Master Corporal Farren, who were all adept at their craft.

The personnel who were not used to combat training all donned ill-fitting frag vests and older style tactical vests, only adding to the look of inexperience.

Jack's hand eased back to his lap. "...Sorry, been a little jumpy since the fight."

"Yeah, I noticed that much."

Both men fell silent for a few minutes, kicking their feet over the edge while attempting to think over the loud booms of the weaponry. Abruptly, Jerome sighed and turned to observe the shooters.

"Man, I don't about you, but I won't exactly feel comfortable having a pog watching my six out there. I bet the guys down in the engine room haven't even touched a C7 for the better part of their careers."

"Lighten up on em', Jerome. We need all the help we can get. Besides, with guys like the boss overseeing their shooting, we'll be fine." Carver opted to defend their inexperienced comrades, praying their training would make up for the lack of combat experience.

"A good portion of these guys haven't been in battle. I doubt they're prepared to kill someone." Private Lewis shrugged.

"Were _you_?"

Jerome stared at Carver after the abrupt comment, realizing that regardless of how badass Jerome tried to make himself sound, out of the two men, it was the younger M203 grenadier that had racked up a higher kill count, especially during the chopper crash fiasco.

"Give them a chance. Before this shit-show, we were just as inexperienced. We aren't legends like Farren. This is it for us."

Jack gestured to the land in front of them before pointing to the single chevron upon their chests.

"This is our Afghanistan, our Bosnia, our Kosovo. We're young dudes in battle for the first time, strangers in a strange land and all that." Jack paused. "Which is why, just like Farren...we'll get home."

"...Easy for you to say. Do you even notice yourself while you're out there? You're a killing _machine_ , Jack."

"...So what? We stick together, we do our job, find a way home; which we will. Then we'll party on the beach once we leave Petawawa after getting medals or some shit. Hell, I'll even help you build your house if I have to."

"You always know what to say, bro." Jerome punched Jack on the shoulder.

"Course' I do. I'm the smart one." Jack quipped.

"So that's the plan, huh?" A new voice interjected into the conversation.

Jack and Jerome looked over their shoulders, seeing Owens approach the men with a hand in his pocket, and a canteen in the other.

"That's it." Carver nodded. "Plain and simple."

"I admire the simplicity." Owens shrugged while taking a swig of water from his canteen. The soldier took a seat next to the men, letting his legs dangle off the side of the flight deck. "Sure beats the long, drawn-out plan the higher-ups always spew."

"Well, that's because we're non-commissioned mem-"

"Private Carver!"

Jack sighed and looked over his shoulder, seeing the large crowd of soldiers and sailors now turned to face him. Farren was there, hands on his hips. Perplexed, the young soldier stood up to respond.

"Master Corporal?"

"Come on over for a moment." Farren gestured to him and then pointed to the mock firing line.

Jack's brow furrowed, so much for a day off, he thought. "Roger."

" _Ooooooh_ , someone's in _trouuuble_." Jerome mocked.

"In this place? I'm not surprised...I'll see you guys later."

Jack approached the group in a light jog, making sure to not take his time and waste the time of the firers and their instructors.

"As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect! I don't frankly give a damn if you've only fired a C7 during basic. I really don't. But here, you will be made into marksmen." Farren wrenched a C8 Carbine from the hands of an engine technician from the lower decks.

Jack stood patiently, waiting to see what the point of calling him over was.

"Private Carver will now demonstrate just what a young soldier can do with a little bit of practice…" The Master Corporal gazed down at the soldier's fists, and then to the Private's sullied expression. "...And a little bit of experience…"

Jack took hold of the Carbine the moment it was offered to him. Seconds later, a deck crewman hoisted paper targets over the firing line. Farren leaned in closely to whisper to the shooter.

"Alright, kid. Nothin' too fancy, just pop a few rounds off real pretty-like okay?"

Jack nodded with a sly grin. A sly grin that the Master Corporal failed to notice.

"Shooter! With a thirty-round magazine; load! Show these fine ladies and gentlemen what you're _made of_." Farren tossed a full magazine to the soldier, who swiftly caught it.

Jack canted the weapon upwards, bringing the receiver of the weapon close to his face so it was easy to manipulate the weapon functions, this was known as the workspace. His eyes were kept forward, however, watching the target. He slammed the magazine into the well after briefly inspecting the magazine to ensure all rounds were seated properly and lowered the weapon to its original position.

"Ready!" Farren shouted.

Jack's left hand shot up and grabbed hold of the charging handle and immediately racked it to the rear, loading a round into the chamber and actively readying the weapon. Instinctively, his right thumb slid up the side of the weapon and manipulated the fire selector switch to the safe position to prevent an accidental discharge.

"See how efficiently the Soldier can operate his weapon? It's second nature. Despite putting his weapon on safe, he's also keeping his finger off the trigger - just in case. He brings the weapon up to his face so he can focus on his weapon in his peripheral. So, take note that at all times, his eyes are never leaving the front. Can anyone tell me why he's doing this?"

Farren's eyes scanned the audience, looking for an answer. His attention was drawn immediately by a hand shooting up. Lieutenant Langer. No one was expecting to see her out of the medical ward so swiftly, much less attending a shooting class lead by the grunts, and yet there she was, bandages and all.

The Infantry soldier slightly altered his posture and cleared his throat. "Yes, Ma'am. Go ahead."

"He's watching his arcs of fire for possible threats. I saw him do it for real at the crash site."

Jack's focus was temporarily thrown off by the comment, and the feeling of everyone's eyes on him. To most, the crash site debacle was just a story, none of them were there. And yet he was there as living proof. If no-one had settled into their predicament quite yet, Jack was their signal to wake up.

"...That's correct, ma'am." Farren nodded to the pilot before addressing the whole audience

"Now obviously he can see the paper target right in front of him. But it's never that easy in a combat scenario. The enemy could be camouflaged or otherwise hiding. It'll take a watchful eye and a heightened awareness to locate targets. On top of this, you have to place your shots well. It's great if you can see him, but you gotta be able to kill him. Tight shot groupings and discipline. Don't go shooting non-combatants. That shit will have you thrown in Club-Ed. Any questions?"

A plethora of hands shot up among the crowd. He was speaking and covering a lot of information quite fast, making it understandably difficult to follow for the uninitiated. Farren pointed to a Naval Crew member who began to speak.

"What's the purpose-"

" _THREAT!_ " Farren interrupted the question, revealing his question period to be a test of attentiveness for the shooter.

In a heartbeat, the safety mechanism on the Carbine was flipped to repetition and Jack's finger found the trigger. The barrel lifted slightly, lining up with the target before a barrage of rounds soared across the short distance, tearing the paper target's center mass to pieces. Within seconds, the thirty round magazine was depleted. However, the soldier wasn't done.

Jack lowered the weapon to his hip with his left hand before retrieving his readied sidearm from his right thigh. He fired, and rode the recoil up the target towards the head, where the remainder of the magazine had been emptied.

When the dust settled, the C8's bolt was locked fully to the rear, and his pistol's slide was in a similar position, marking ammo depletion. A vast majority of the crowd had flinched and instinctively covered their ears at the sudden barrage as despite wearing hearing protection, Jack's long barrage was an assault on their hearing.

"Overkill, dontcha think?"

Jack's head turned to the commenter, a Petty Officer.

"With respect, PO…" Jack started while dropping the empty magazines from his weapons. "I put twice as much ammo into a White Fang commander and it _barely scratched_ his plates. Then I proceeded to try and beat him to death with the weapon, which was extremely ineffective."

The comment made by the Private earned a few discomforting whispers. Farren was tempted to interject, but he knew the soldier was right and deserved to make a statement based on his experience against both the White Fang and the Grimm.

"On one hand, you have massive, hulking beasts that shrug off a 40mm...and on the other you have an enemy that thinks and fights like us, except they're a lot harder to kill than we are. So no, I wouldn't classify that as overkill. Everything Master Corporal Farren has said is correct, but your enemy will walk away from things that will kill a normal person twenty times over. So, my advice? Double tap."

The crowd stared blankly at him, hardly seeing the hope in their situation based upon his rant.

"Don't mistake me for being negative. They _can_ be killed. And if they mess with any of you, they _will_ be killed. I know it." Jack nodded, hoping to restore some positivity after his spiel.

"That's enough for today. You've earned a break. Remember what you've learned." Master Corporal Farren abruptly ended the class before an exchange could occur. He turned to see Jack extending the rifle to him.

"Too much?" Jack asked, eyebrow already cocked in his usual, sarcastic way.

"Told you not to show off, smart ass."

"Can't help it. This is who I am." Jack gestured to himself with an exaggerated facial expression, feigning sadness.

"Master Corporal?" A voice spoke out behind the two men.

Farren sighed and began to turn. "I thought I said to take a-" He stopped himself upon noticing Lieutenant Langer.

"I was hoping you could show me some more weapon handling drills. I have a feeling if the last engagement we had was any indication, I'll be doing a lot more shooting." The Lieutenant had her hip cocked to the side, and still carried one of the demo C8's.

The Infantry Master Corporal cleared his throat and looked to Jack, almost as if he was looking for some guidance from the soldier. Jack shrugged. The type of gesture that screamed, "I don't know."

"Uhh...Sure thing ma'am, I can go into a bit more detail."

Jack covered his mouth, visibly trying to hold in a laugh while he watched the two awkwardly communicate.

"Jack, go get some rest, we're going back out soon, the brock is moving and we're riding LAVs along the coast for cover." Farren hadn't bothered to turn and face him, and instead looked over his shoulder with a small grin.

"Roger, boss. Have fun you two!"

The soldier was gone and halfway down the runway before the now red Master Corporal could yell at him.

* * *

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **WARDROOM  
** **OPEN SEA**

"I understand your concerns McDowell, I do. However given the current climate and recent events, It would be unwise to continue air operations. The suspensions stands until we can guarantee to some degree the safety of local airspace."

"Understood, Sir. I'll get my men to move everything off the decks and into the hangars."

"Good, any other concerns before we adjourn?"

Scotty slowly put up his hand, looking nervous to bring up his point to the group

"Yes, Engineer Scott. Something to add?"

"We're dealing with some heavy stress on the engines as of late. The large distance we've covered over the last few days, coupled with traveling at flank speed the whole time is starting to take its toll."

"I remember we had a similar discussion back on Earth. We were scheduled for a servicing, but as I recall it was postponed for this mission. What do you recommend?"

"Ideally I'd take a large portion of the power plant apart and replace some of the worn parts. The bare minimum I need is to take one engine offline at a time, replace the filters and buff out some of our minor issues. Two days maximum per engine."

Dietz let out a sigh of discontent. He knew there would be issues with the ship eventually, but taking a whole engine offline would cut everything in half, not to mention taking a water filter out of operation.

"Are we going to be able to pump enough water with a filter offline?" Kendall inquired, his hands crossed on the other side of the room

"The slower we go the more water we can pump at once. For a crew of this size, plus the water we need to cool the engines and create the necessary steam, I think rationing is our only option."

This revelation let out a larger groan from the senior officers. Rationing water was going to be a hard sell to the crew; no personal canteens for those off duty, no showers, and distilling the non-water beverages on the ship.

"Is there any other way Mister Scott?" Reid asked, knowing his grunts would be taking a significant portion of the water to remain operational in the field.

"We take an engine offline, we have to take a filter offline. That's the way the Americans built it." Scott shrugged off the comments. He knew the decision was unpopular. The only other alternative is a run-down ship, unable to move.

"Thank you, Engineer Scott, for all our sakes, please complete your maintenance as quickly as possible."

"I'll have my whole team on it, Sir. We'll get it done."

"Good. Then that concludes the meeting. You all are dismissed."

As Dietz stood up from his chair, the rest of the room followed suit, like a judge leaving a courtroom. Kendall followed close behind, running to catch up to Dietz who was already walking down the hall.

"You got out of there pretty quick Captain, the air getting to stale for your taste?"

Dietz stopped in his tracks, looking at Kendall who was now several feet ahead of him.

"Are you sick of it yet?"

"Of what?"

"Of this. Of going out, getting our asses kicked and having everyone run back here with tails between their legs."

"I think the infantry would disagree with that sentiment…"

Kendall and Dietz stepped to the side of the passageway, allowing a few soldiers to pass by who stopped to address them before continuing.

"No, they wouldn't. You heard Carver...We're _losing_ Mike, we're losing _bad_. We've lost over 50 men, a helicopter, fuel, bullets, food. Not to mention what happened on the Endeavour. We're hitting this place with everything we have, and it's still not enough."

"What would you say to anchoring down for a few days, near land. Somewhere secluded, keep a light defence and give the men some rest. Scotty can do his repairs, and we can pump and filter all the water we need."

"What about those...things? What about these terrorists?"

"Light perimeter, keep the CIC ready and do regular UAV sweeps, just for a few days until we get our engines back."

Deitz stood quietly, leaning against the passageway. It took him less than a minute to weigh the alternative.

"Get Ms. Rose and her team to the bridge. Set course for land, best speed ahead."

Kendall's standard grin became a full smile upon hearing his orders, coming to salute in agreement

"Aye-aye."

* * *

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
MED-BAY  
EARTH TIME - 1000 HOURS**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

Wandering through the cramped Brock wasn't Jack Carver's first idea on how to spend the rest of his day off, but it served as a distraction just as well as the waves had. He had been exploring the ship for roughly twenty minutes before stumbling upon the med bay. He immediately had the urge to enter and check on the soldiers he and his team recovered during the firefight. His hand went for the door, but hesitated. Would he be in the way? Would he regret what he saw?

" _Screw it._ "

He opened the hatch and stepped in. A number of medical staff looked over to see who entered, as did some patients. Towards the rear of the cramped facility sat Ruby and the rest of RNJR to the surprise of Jack. Doctor Grove and Corporal Ross stood nearby, clearly preparing some supplies. To what end, he did not know. Ruby waved him over.

Jack began to traverse the medical ward and could feel the atmosphere change as people began to notice who he was.

" _Holy shit...He's alive._ "

" _Yeah, that's the guy, doc. That's him alright._ "

" _He went toe to toe with the Wolf!?_ "

" _What? No way…He's just a kid, there's no way that actually happened._ "

The voices and comments continued as he crossed the med bay, some praising him, others shocked to see finally see this soldier they had been hearing about.

"Hey, kid."

Jack stopped and turned to face whoever had addressed him, seeing Corporal Aiden sitting up on a medical bed. The sniper had his shirt removed and a large bandage dressing covering his shoulder where he had been shot.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah, it went straight through the shoulder so I'll be back at it soon I'm sure. Hurt like a bitch though. It burned."

"I hear wounds tend to do that!" Jack tried his hand at humour to lighten the situation.

"No...like, it _burned_."

Jack paused and thought back to his first night in the woods when RNJR had utilized dust infused bullets to form ice to cool his wounds. It was certainly possible the white fang had access to similar infused ammunition to inflict pain on their foes.

"Elemental ammo…" Jack stroked his chin. "They shot you with a goddamn fire bullet!"

"What, like Incendiary rounds? Dragon's breath?"

"...Same principle I guess? I don't know how anything works in this place, you'd be better off asking Ruby or Doctor Grove who have some sort of understanding."

"So they shoot _fire_ too? Man...I hate this place…"

"You and me both." Jack patted the Sniper on the non-wounded shoulder and turned to walk away.

"Hey, Carver?"

"Yeah?"

"Good job...Not many people can say they single-handedly held off an assault while awaiting reinforcements. Or engage in hand to hand with an enemy commander."

"I was just doing my job, and not well enough apparently...I'm sorry about your team-"

"Don't apologize. Just make that son of a bitch pay."

"...I will." Easier said than done, Jack thought to himself.

Both men nodded at each other.

"What happens next for you?"

"Well, considering we were the sniper asset for Bravo Company, I'll likely get thrown in with you guys as a grunt again or into the other company sniper teams. We'll have to see where Reid wants me."

"Won't lie, with your aim I'd want you with a sniper team."

"Yeah, you're not so bad yourself, hot-shot. Ever consider specialized-infantry?"

"Me? Paratrooper or Sniper?"

While the Canadian Forces no longer had a designated Airborne unit, each regular force Infantry Regiments always had a Jump company, filled with parachute qualified soldiers. Should Jack consider it, he would have to relocate to the Third Battalion of RCR, where the jump company was located.

"Yeah, you're obviously crazy enough for it."

"What makes you say that?"

"You charged into open melee combat against an unknown enemy...You're incredibly brave, but also really crazy. When we get home, go ahead and give something a shot, maybe even a Recce course.

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

"Good. Now go on, I saw you eyeing them up from the door, don't let me keep you any longer."

The men shook hands and parted ways. Jack first walked over to RNJR, who had all been gathered onto two hospital beds with their sleeves rolled.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey, Jack!" All four chimed in their greetings.

"...Sooo, what's up with you guys? Get a few bumps for the doc to look at?"

"Actually, Private Carver, team RNJR has decided to assist me in my research of Auras and Semblances by allowing me to take blood samples from them." Grove interjected while passing the soldier, carrying a tray of syringes and a label maker.

"What makes their blood different than ours, Doctor?" Jack looked at his fists, reimagining them covered in the red liquid.

"That's what I intend to figure out, Private Carver. I hypothesize that it could be biological...just a _byproduct_ of being native to 'Remnant'...however, I could be mistaken and it could be something else entirely. Hopefully, this will help us understand our surroundings a little better. Corporal Ross is here to assist me in taking samples."

"You sure you should be doing this, Ross?"

"I was an EMT before joining, I _know_ what I'm doing, _hero_." The Medic quipped.

Unwittingly, Jack's hand balled into a fist. A gesture that Ruby quickly picked up on.

"I wasn't questioning your capabilities, I'm questioning your sanity if you think that you can keep going so long without taking a damn break. Haven't seen you sit down since we got here."

"What was that, _Private_?" Ross turned around and got in the Soldier's face.

Both men stared one another down, eyes locked, brows furrowed and fists clenched.

"...Umm...Private Carver, would you be so kind as to allow me to take a sample of your blood? I would like to compare the blood of someone that is of similar age to team RNJR and not native to Remnant." Grove approached the men, trying to separate them.

"...Sure, doc. Whatever you need." Jack answered, still staring the Medic down.

"Come take a seat, Private. Corporal Ross, please grab another syringe from the supplies."

Jack stepped off and took a seat next to Ruby atop the medical bed.

" _You okay?_ " Ruby whispered.

"Yeah." Jack scoffed.

"Don't know why you let him walk all over you like that," Jaune muttered, watching the Corporal from the other side of the room.

"Yeah, he's a bit of a jerk." Nora added with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I know, I know." Jack nodded. "Somethings up with the guy. Ruby, you remember what I was talking about on the flight deck, right?"

The girl nodded in response, quite vividly remembering many reactions after the hellish battle.

"Well, it happened again during the crash fiasco."

"Combat fatigue?" Ren inquired.

"More than likely." Doctor Grove nodded and gestured the huntsmen for his arm while carrying a syringe.

Ren extended his arm with his sleeve rolled, allowing the doctor to insert the needle and fill the pointed capsule full of a dark red liquid. The Huntsmen appeared to get a little dizzy as the blood left his body, but managed to stay upright.

"The Corporal seems to be putting up a wall to block others from his problems. I'm no psychiatrist, but it seems to be a common reaction for combat troops post-battle. Especially here on the Brock. Lot's of soldiers have been doing it. Even _you_ , Private Carver."

The small group turned their attention to the young soldier, who looked unamused.

"What? Come on, don't say that Doc. I'm fine."

Unphased, Doctor Grove placed the now labeled Syringe down upon a sterile tray and reached for another. "Just wait for the adrenaline to settle and the magnitude of the situation to set in, Private Carver. We'll all be singing a different tune."

A state of unease flushed over the soldier. Was the Doctor right? _No, don't be stupid, don't start having doubts now._ Jack quickly shot the idea down in his mind.

"I suggest workin' on your bedside manner, doc."

"And I suggest not charging an elite white fang soldier in hand to hand combat. But we both know we won't listen to either one's advice."

Jack shrugged it off and watched as Ren took Nora's hand during the needle process. He figured one of them had to hate needles. There was always one in every group. Up next was Jaune, who stared off into space, hardly noticing the needle pierce his skin and suck the blood from his body. Ruby looked away when the syringe entered her pale arm, as did Jack. Something about the scarlet fluid coming from her arm bothered him. More than the others.

With perfect timing, Ross returned with the final syringe.

"Tunic, Carver."

Jack nodded and unbuttoned his tunic, setting it down next to him before slightly lifting the sleeve of his brown undershirt. With his long-sleeved tunic removed, his bruises and cuts were on display for everyone. The new cuts and bruises mixed in with his still healing ones, making his body look like an abstract painting.

Ruby's heart sank as she watched him stiffly lift his arm from Grove.

"I didn't say thanks yet...Sooo, thank you."

"For?" Jack asked while watching the needle stab into his arm.

"Taking Fenrir on when my semblance dropped."

"Yeah well, don't...Not yet anyway. We're not equal. You saved my ass, _yet again_ , not five minutes after that." Jack chuckled.

Ruby was puzzled. The soldier seemed so hell-bent on not getting credit. Like her, he just wanted to be normal it seemed.

"Tell you what." Jack started with a smirk. "By the end of this whole thing, whoever has saved the other the most wins a prize. And the other has to thank them."

"Well, what's the prize?"

Jack stroked his chin and looked around the room for ideas. "...Uhh…Hmm...I don't...Screw it. One 'I owe you'..."

"An 'I owe you'...really?" Ruby grinned. "That's all you got? I don't know if that's worth how many times I've gotta save your butt!"

Jack's jaw dropped at the cocky audacity she had. "Yeah turns out being stranded kind of makes you broke!"

The Huntress laughed, but nodded. "Alright, you're on."

"Guys, you in?" Jack cased the others, who reluctantly nodded in response.

"Ground rule; no charging into stupid odds for a free rescue!"

"Hear this: Team RNJR and Doctor Grove to the Bridge. I say again my last, team RNJR and Doctor Grove to the bridge!"

"Well, duty calls." Jaune placed his gauntlet back onto his forearm and pushed himself off of the bed and towards the door.

"Why is it always when I'm working?" Grove frustratingly removed his latex gloves and began to storm off. "Corporal, please store the vials correctly and carefully, I will return soon."

Ross nodded and wrapped up labeling Jack's blood vial.

"We'll meet up for dinner, Jack!"

Jack's face lit up. "Uhh, sure, yeah! Yes. I will be there. Mhm." He cleared his throat.

"Don't start without us!" Nora added.

Jack's face somberly returned to its neutral state. "...Right. You got it."

The medbay fell silent once the group had left, leaving Jack to stare at the door unamused.

"I can't even make a joke about that. T-That just sucks!" Aiden shouted from the other end of the medbay, struggling not to laugh.

Jack mumbled something under his breath and went for his tunic, guiding his arms through the sleeves before

"You should listen to Grove. I have a feeling we'll be running into those two again. Now they've got your number. Be careful."

"So you _do_ care."

"This isn't a game, Carver. They want to, and will _kill_ you. And there's not much you can do about that."

"Don't you think I get that?" Jack sneered, downright uncharacteristically. "Who got left behind day one after crawling through a ship of torn apart bodies? Who made first peaceful contact with an indigenous force? Who fell out of a god damn helicopter and stumbled through the woods, again, to locate survivors?! Who charged those sons of bitches head on just to make sure everyone was protected? Man I _SUCK_ , don't I? Send me _straight_ to hell!"

The medical bay fell silent after the outburst, drawing heavy attention. Even Ross had been taken back by the outburst.

Jack looked around the room, shocked himself. He took a deep breath and fixed his posture, trying to prove the Doctor's point wrong.

"You done?" Ross asked, eyebrow raised.

"Permission to speak freely?" Jack asked while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Send."

"You're an asshole, Ross."

Ross stayed silent and opted to just listen to the soldier.

"I chalked it up to battlefield stress, but no, I think you're just a dick." Jack insulted the Medic, purposely egging him on to probe for an emotional reaction for some insight on the man's behavior.

"You have _no idea_ what it's like to watch fifty of your comrades die in front of you. Because you didn't get to them fast enough, or because you weren't good enough, or their wounds were just too great for you to even do anything! Then to fight whatever ungodly shit this is and watch your friends get eviscerated. You don't know the things I've seen. What I _escaped_ by joining the military. I joined up to get away from seeing dead kids in crashes, dead families in _you_ come along." There was pure venom in his pronunciation. "Young, eager and _stupid_ to get in a fight that will bloody well leave you dead in the dirt."

Jack raised his finger and opened his mouth to speak. "You know quite a lot of killing and dying does occur in war, right?"

"No! You spoke, now you listen! I will not watch another arrogant kid die because he's out hunting for a god damn victoria cross or something!"

"You think this is about _medals_?! And you're calling _me_ stupid? I'm doing this so I don't _have_ to watch fifty of my friend die in front of me! I'm doing it for _them_! For _you_ , you idiot! Every man that's died so far was a Soldier I could've saved if I fought harder."

A Sergeant stormed over to the two. "You two need to get out, I've got wounded here that my staff and I are trying to treat. So unless you're here to work, get lost." In reality, the Sergeant was breaking the fight up much like Grove did before he was called away.

"Yes, Sergeant." Both men barked.

The Sergeant walked away, and Jack turned to leave with his teeth grit.

"No kid, soldier or not, can save the day like you think." Ross muttered just loud enough for the soldier to hear.

Jack stopped and looked over his shoulder with a glare.

" _Watch me._ "

* * *

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **BRIDGE  
** **OPEN SEA  
RUBY ROSE**

The bridge of the Brock was sizable for a ship her size, in order to complement the needed sailors to command her. Of course, extenuating circumstances called for the bridge to be more packed than usual. As Ruby stepped into the bridge, she took notice of the younger sailors manning their posts. A good portion of them were Jack's age, and not much older than her.

Lieutenant-Commander Kendall spotted the red-dressed Huntress enter the bridge and leaped out of his chair to meet her.

"Ms. Rose, good to see you again!" The XO flashed her a smile.

"You too, Sir!" She mimicked one of Jack's salutes, more tactful than her attempt at impressing Winter not too long ago at Beacon Academy's landing dock.

"I trust the crew has been pleasant?"

"Yeah, everyone except this weird soldier though."

"I know the one. Tall, young, always manages to get dragged in front of senior officers?"

"That's the one." Ruby snickered.

"Well I'll see what I can do about that, but you might be stuck with him. For all his problems, he's a pretty decent soldier."

"Whenever you're ready, Sir!" A voice called out from the other side of the bridge.

Kendall turned around, realizing there was work to be done.

"Oh right. Ruby, this is Lieutenant Ashley Beckett, she's the Brocks OOW. You'll be with her for the next little while."

"I've heard a lot about you from the XO, is a pleasure to have you on the bridge."

The two women shook hands briefly, before taking a walk through the bridge

"It was nothing really, I just feel awful that you've been dragged into the fighting like this."

"In any event, we're lucky to have you. But we must ask another favor of you."

"What can I do?" The young Huntress straightened her posture and cleared her throat, making herself out to be the stalwart warrior she always wanted to be.

Beckett guided ruby towards the navigation station of the bridge. Standing there was a small man, no bigger than her. His back was turned, facing a map on the table in front of him.

"This is our Gator, it's short for Navigator. He is responsible for ship movements and can analyze ocean topography to create an ideal path, were we back home that is."

"What do you need from me?"

"All this running around the last few weeks have stressed the systems on the ship. We need a place to lay low until we can repair everything. The less populated, the better."

"What about the map we drew for you?"

"We were hoping for somewhere more secluded. An island, an Archipelago maybe."

Ruby moved closer to the map and began to think back to stories her Uncle Qrow used to tell. Some she knew were just that, stories. But there was this one...

"Here!" Ruby pointed to open ocean just north of Vale. "There should be land here. I don't know how much, or where specifically, but there's something there!"

"Very good, thank you, Ruby. Gator?"

The sailor took out a compass and a pencil and began to math out a heading while calculating the distance conversion in his head.

"Ma'am, recommend coming to course three-one-zero and maintain current speed."

"Helm, come about to course three-one-zero." The young lieutenant turned back towards Ruby, extending her hand for a handshake."On behalf of senior command, thank you again. You can return below decks if you wish. If there's anything you need from us, just ask."

Ruby accepted the gesture and turned for the bulkhead, before turning around again.

"Can I take you up on your offer?"

"Of course."

"I-I know a lot of people died trying to get us to Anima. More risked their lives to save us. We know how bad the White Fang is, I don't know if Remnant will ever be the same after what they did to Beacon. Can you ask, just to make sure, that we can still continue with our mission? When all's said and done?"

"I will pass on your message. You have my word."

Both women smiled a went on their way. Ruby exited the bulkhead and reacquainted with the Seaman and team members waiting outside. Beckett retrieved a pair of binoculars from a hook next to her and moved out to the bridge wing, standing next to the OOW.

"Nothing but ocean out there Ma'am, certainly no land."

"Give it time sailor. If she says it's out there, it out there."

"Yes Ma'am." The OOW lowered his binoculars and moved to the far edge of the wing, raising his binoculars again, taken aback by what he saw."

"OOW spot's _anomaly_ on the horizon. Bearing 40 degrees relative!" The OOW called so loud that the helmsman inside the ridge could hear.

Beckett ran to the door and called to one of the officers near the 1MC, calling the ship to action stations.

* * *

 **1 HOUR LATER  
** **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT BAY**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

Much like with previous operations, the assault bay on the Brock was packed with sailors, soldiers and LAV's preparing for the landing. Jack was in the lineup to receive a weapon

that stretched back along the catwalk. The line was moving quickly as the time until deployment drew near.

"Just overheard some Section Commanders and Bryson talking real quiet like. I think we're going on recon again." Jerome's speech was broken and he panted for breath whenever he got the chance, lugging around Owen's C9 wasn't helping that.

"Are you serious?"

"That's not all. We're going to be out of range of everything. Radio, reinforcements, fire support."

"Did they say why?"

"If they did, I couldn't hear."

Jack sighed. "Great."

When the time came, Jack approached the Company Quartermaster, who carried a binder full of weapon sign out sheets and had a line of C7's behind him.

"Name, Service number, rack number."

"Private Carver, Kilo 24-379-438, rack 67." He had a new rifle assigned once his had been lost during the chopper crash and he had to keep juggling different weapons during the battle.

"Carver, Carver, Carver…" The CQ scanned over his logistics sheet, trying to find Jack's information. The soldier's name was listed twice. The first rack had been scratched out by a pen. The Sergeant nodded, he had heard about this one. "Ah, Jack Carver. 2 section, 1st platoon. Chopper boy? That you?"

"Yes, Sergeant. I'm 'Chopper Boy'..." Jack answered with a sigh.

"Good." The CQ put down his clipboard and retrieved a C7 from the rack, followed by an M203 for him to attach. "This is yours, make sure to return it when you're back. Try not to lose it like the last one, kid. Good luck."

"No promises, Sarge." Jack smirked but immediately nodded his head upon noticing the lack of amusement on the CQ's face. Jack signed the logistics sheet and moved out with Jerome at his side.

The two soldiers marched out of the armoury towards the assault bay to consolidate with their section and load up. Jack took hold of Jerome's C7, choosing to carry it for him while Jerome had to lug around Owen's C9 until he arrived.

"Soooo….." Jerome muttered.

"Hmm? What's up?" Jack looked at his friend.

"You tell me, buddy." Jerome shrugged. "You're awfully quiet."

"Oh...well, just got into an argument earlier is all."

"Yeah, Ruby told me. Things get heated?"

"You could say that, yeah."

"Who won?"

"Me, duh." Jack shrugged off the seriousness of the argument with Ross, while internally he processed much of the information discussed.

"You won an argument with a higher rank?" Jerome sounded unconvinced until he gripped Jack's arm. "Teach me your ways."

"Yell loud enough till' someone has to listen. That's pretty much it."

"Pfft, I should never be wrong in that case."

The two soldiers took their place amongst their section and placed their rifles down by their feet while they began loading their assortment of magazines with ammunition. Once topped off, the thirty round magazines found their way into their respective pouches.

"Here, Jack." Owens arrived and dropped a belt of 40mm grenades next to the soldier before taking his C9 from Jerome. "Double up on your fourties."

"Expecting trouble?" Jack clasped the belt atop his first belt, adding to the weight and firepower he carried.

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared in this place."

"Good call, thanks." Jack removed one of his pistol magazines from his leg holster and handed it to the machine gunner. "Here, in case you're C9 runs dry."

"...What about me? What loot do I get?" Jerome asked sarcastically.

Jack removed a rifle mag from his vest, handing it off to his partner. "There. Don't ever say I don't treat you."

"Keep givin' your stuff away like that, you'll only have the Noob Tube left." Master Corporal Farren commented while approaching his Section from the entrance to the assault bay.

Jack smirked, knowing exactly why the section commander was late; showing off his weapon handling to a pilot.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; _MASTER CORPORAL FARREN!_ " The Private shouted loudly. Loud enough for the platoon, maybe even the company, to hear and turn their heads and observe the approaching soldier.

Those who understood why Jack shouted began to laugh, followed by cheers and a round of applause for the Master Corporal.

"I am going to kill you, Carver." Farren took a knee amongst his section, loading his own magazines.

"Dear Master Corporal, I was only paying the due respect when you entered the room!"Jack pleaded innocent.

"Right, of course you were." Farren scoffed. "Corporal, is it just me, or has the kid become way more of a smart ass?"

"Not just you, boss. The kid radiates sass." Sam smirked and shook his head

"Congratulations!" Team RNJR entered the bay, with Nora leading the charge with a yell.

"Oh no." Jack's eyes popped out of his head.

"What?" Jerome asked, watching the team approach.

Nora clung to Farren, giving him a hug then a pat on the back.

"Nora don't-"

"So when are you and Lieutenant Langer going on a date?! Jack told me all about it! That's so cute! I knew it the moment I heard all the clapping!"

The group fell silent while Nora eagerly awaited an answer.

"Aaaand that was the last anyone had ever heard from Jack Carver." Jaune muttered with a palm over his face.

"He told you _what?_ " Farren turned his head to Carver.

"This isn't how I thought I'd die, I'll be honest." Jack croaked, then pursed his lips.

"Why are you so hell-bent on getting yourself killed out here?" Owens muttered.

"Are you okay, Master Corporal Farren?" Nora asked, perplexed by his silence.

"Oh yeah, I'm great. Just thinking of a chat I'm gonna have with Jack a little later. You know, a nice private chat. No witnesses."

"You're gonna give him advice aren't you?!"

"Nora, I think that's enough, spare Jack the embarrassment." Ren placed a hand on the Huntress' shoulder.

She looked at him with a confused expression. She was genuinely unsure of what she was doing wrong.

"...Y'know I was just kidding, boss."

"Oh it's too late now. you're screwed, kid." Farren said with a mischievous grin. "We'll sort you out when we're done here."

Jack was about to continue to argue his case and save his own ass, but he was cut off by Lieutenant Bryson turning towards the door and prepare a salute.

"GROUP." Bryson shouted and lifted his hand to his brow, saluting Captain Dietz and Lieutenant-Colonel Reid as they entered the assault bay.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and jumped up to attention.

"Thank you all. Please, at ease." Dietz raised his hand, returning the salute to Lieutenant Bryson.

The Captain made his way to the center of the steel assault bay. "Everyone gather around."

In moments, the company surrounded the senior officers.

"Now, I know it's been a tough few days, we have lost a lot of good soldiers, good friends. It hasn't felt like we've made any progress. Today that changes. About 5 clicks in-land, our officers spotted smoke coming from the treeline. We suspect, this is a local civilian population. While the majority of you hold and secure a thin perimeter around the ship, a team - including me as well - will inspect the site and attempt to make contact. I don't need to tell you that the security of the ship should be your foremost priority, it will extremely be vulnerable."

As the captain continued his speech, Jerome leaned over slightly, attempting to make his movements unnoticeable.

"Jesus the Captain's leaving the ship? Can he even do that? I thought those were just rumours we were hearing."

"Who's going to stop him?" Jack replied. "With no chain of command past him, he's the highest-ranking Canadian...His word is pretty much law out here. Pride of the Lion pack."

"Welcome to the jungle, baby." Jerome muttered, earning a chuckle from Jack.

"Today we make sure the sacrifices of our friends was not in we get the win we have been waiting for. Are we not Queens men?"

"HOOAH!"

"That is what I like to hear. As you were, finishing gearing up, my intent is to be on the ground in the next thirty minutes!"

"You heard the man, let's get er' done!" Bryson shouted, surging the troops back into their pre-mission routine. "RNJR, you're riding with 2-Section! I'm riding with 1-Section!"

Soon enough, the Platoons filled into their LAV III's and prepared for departure.

Jack took his seat and placed his C7 between his legs, trying to get comfortable in the armoured personnel carrier. He sighed but managed to get a chuckle out.

Ruby took her seat next to Jack, followed by Jaune. Ren and Nora took their positions next to Owens and Farren, adjacent to them.

The two warriors smiled, trying not to laugh about what had just happened.

"Hey Red."

"Hey, Jack. You told Nora that Farren had a crush on Langer, didn't you?"

"Sure did." A mix of a cocky grin and a self-realizing grimace was plastered on the soldier's face.

Ruby cringed. "Ouch…"

"Yep. He's gonna freakin' kill me."

"I'll protect you." Ruby winked playfully.

"My hero." Jack cooed sarcastically.

The two laughed and fist-bumped before the LAV ramp closed and prepared to deploy.

* * *

 **FORESTS OF VALE  
** **40 KILOMETERS WEST OF CANADIAN FORCES  
** **1 HOUR PRIOR**

Across the vast span of forest laid the remains of a gunfight. Bodies of soldiers and White Fang peppered the immediate area as the trees burned from the aftermath. Those who were not dead were quickly dying, leaving Fenrir to inspect his carnage, proud as could be. He stopped at the body of one of the soldiers. His corpses armour was mostly white and grey with green accents on his helmet and arms.

"That attack was sloppy." A voice stated from behind him

Fenrir drew his weapon and turned to face the voice. There, sitting on a stump that used to support a fully grown tree, was his sister; Accalia. Revived, he recanted his weapon and returned to his business.

"Must you always criticize my strategy sister?" The wolf sneered.

Accalia chuckled and stood up on her feet, joining her brother

"Tactics, brother. I plan strategy, as evidenced by your fallen left flank."

"What is the difference?"

"Tactics, is the completion of a certain battle or objective, whereas strategy concerns itself with the war. Strategy takes patience, something my dear brother you sorely lack."

"The incompetence of my men is not my concern nor my fault. We still won."

"That's not an attitude that our enemies share brother. They care for each other, they train tirelessly. This is a mistake that they would _not_ make."

"Yet they run at the slightest sign of defeat. I almost _killed_ that weakling of a soldier who attacked me."

"Yes, almost."

One of the Atlas soldiers, barely clinging to her life, tried to crawl away from the field. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the two Faunus officers arguing, using their distraction to her benefit. She made her way to another fallen soldier with a radio pack.

"Mother, Dusk is down…" The soldier let out a rough cough that echoed through her body. She clenched her chest with her free hand and repeated her report "Dusk has engaged hostiles and is down. Requesting orders..."

"Mother reads, return with any and all survivors immediately. I say again, fall back." This voice was different from the one before. This voice was male and slightly raspier.

"Dusk reports only- _ah_ …" Accaila's sword pierced the soldiers back, taking the killing blow

"This what I mean brother, holes in your offensive create messes like these."

"Dusk? Dusk repeat your last." The man's voice was harder to read. His gravelong voice was barely inaudible at his current pace.

"Your friend here is dead, you will join her in a matter of time. Don't bother looking for us, we will be long gone. Your time will come." Accalia dropped the receiver and retrieved her sidearm, putting three rounds through the radio pack as it began to smoke and spark "That's how you tie up a loose end. Clean up this mess and move out. We have work to do."

"What work? What more could you possibly need to do?"

"You worry with the tactics, little brother, I have a _war_ to plan."

* * *

 **FORESTS OF VALE  
BEACHHEAD  
PRESENT TIME**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

"Here we see the wild Jack in its natural habitat…" Jerome whispered with an Australian accent while observing the other, much quieter Private.

Jack turned his head with an eyebrow cocked.

"Whoa...It has spotted us...The wild Jack will at first stare at its observer, perplexed."

The Company had landed at the beach and established a defensive perimeter around the area to defend the vulnerable Sir Isaac Brock. Dietz was finalizing his plan before 1st Platoon would

move out. In the meantime, the soldiers attempted to amuse themselves while they waited.

"The main source of sustenance for the wild Jack is Mountain Dew and Clif Bars...but with this source swiftly draining...the creature roams this new, exotic land for food and entertainment."

"Thank you…for that…'enlightening' piece, Lewis." Owens sighed.

"Do you seriously survive off of soda and energy bars?" Jaune asked, kneeling next to the dismounted soldier outside of the LAV III.

"Back home? Basically. Clif bars are the shit when you're in the field." Jack reached into his cargo pocket, retrieving one of the bars they had been speaking of. "Here, give it a try."

"Suddenly, the wild Jack is attacked by a pack of hunters!" Jerome shouted while the soldier was distracted.

"Wait, what?!" Jack raised his fists defensively.

But it was not enough. The soldier was dragged back into the LAV by Nora, Ruby, and Jerome and was swiftly tackled to the steel floor.

Farren peered into the LAV to watch the scene unfold.

"What?! No 'Hey quit screwing around' or 'knock it off dirtbags'?!" Jack pleaded the Section Commander to step in and come to his aid.

"Oh no, this is karma. You're on your own... _Dirtbag_." Farren nodded with a smirk.

"I hate you." Jack mumbled from the bottom of the dogpile.

"ALRIGHT, FIRST PLATOON! RALLY ON ME!" Lieutenant Bryson dismounted from his respective LAV, accompanied by Captain Dietz, who ditched his Naval Uniform for a set of CADPAT and body armour.

"Alright, off the 'Wild Jack' before you kill em. It's a rare and endangered specimen, Grove might kill you." Farren lifted Jerome to his feet and stepped out, gathering the rest of the section.

 **FIVE MINUTES LATER**

"Extended line! LAV Commanders, stay a good thirty meters behind us! If that really is a village in there, I doubt they'd appreciate armoured men and vehicles coming outta the brush! Aura of non-hostility ladies and gentlemen!"

The platoon moved into its formation and broke off from the company, starting to traverse into the woods yet again. They all hoped this time would be different. Jack cradled his rifle and entered the tree line, occasionally looking to his left and right to ensure he was inline with his had knelt down to look her in the eye

"Once more unto the breach…" Jack muttered, preparing mentally for a fight should it come knocking. Just in case, he cocked his weapon and placed it on safe. He readied his launcher as well, knowing how useful the M203 had been during their tenure.

"A little paranoid huh? Me too." Jaune displayed the weapon strapped to his hip. His hand was wrapped tightly around the hilt, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

"It reminds me of home, sorta." Jack shrugged. "Doing patrols in Petawawa to prepare for something like this. You don't really expect it, and take the training for granted until you're out here."

"I see where you're comin' from."

Jaune nodded, reminiscing of his short tenure at beacon academy. The friends he made, the enemies he made. The sparring practice that would prepare them for combat against an opponent. Even Ozpin's initial test on their second day of school served a training purpose; select teams.

"Eh Jerome? Kinda remind you of Petawawa?"

"...Yeah...now that you mention it. Except, of course, it isn't pissing rain. There are women around. We get live rounds...Oh and the god damn trees are explodin' every time we step off the Brock...But yeah, Jack, other than that, It's a lot like Petawawa."

"Right?!"

"Corporal, could you hit him for me?"

Corporal Owens quickly approached the soldier and swiftly swat the back of his helmet.

 **SEVERAL MINUTES LATER**

The patrol column made its way through the brush in due time, coming across a village, just as they expected. They halted, staying still and waited for several minutes. The platoon waited and observed, watching for civilians. No one.

Slowly and carefully, Bryson rose to his feet and emerged from the brush, entering the outskirts of the town.

"Hello!" Lieutenant Bryson shouted, trying to grab the attention of anyone in the area.

The soldiers cautiously stepped forward, closer to the settlement, following their officer further inward.

"Hello?" The Officer tried again. "We're not here for trouble! There's no need to be scared!"

Nothing.

Jack felt a chill travel down his spine. The silence was maddening.

"Is anyone there?!" Bryson tried one last time before calling it quits.

"...It's completely deserted…" Farren looked around at the settlement.

A sense of unease flooded every man and woman in the platoon as he announced that.

"Anybody see any bodies?!" A voice shouted from the other side of the extended line.

"Negative, nothing on this end!" Another shouted back.

"Well, if there were people...they ain't here now." Jerome observed the buildings, and then the fire in the center of a dirt path leading up to a central gate.

"Maybe they're hiding?" Jack asked, turning to Jaune as he did for some sort of guidance or confirmation.

"It's possible." Jaune shrugged. "But this place looks _dead_."

"Not a lot of damage, though." Ren noted. "No burn marks, no blood, no bodies, few gunshot damage to the buildings…It's as if everyone just got up and left."

"...Where'd everyone go then?" Ruby asked, looking for an answer from anyone.

"Yeah. If they left, _why'd_ they leave…?" Owens nervously cradled his light machine gun.

"Bandits maybe?" Nora said, uncertain. "I feel like we'd see more damage if this was Grimm."

Lieutenant Bryson needed a moment to think. This was not a part of the plan. He broke it down sequentially for himself. His first priority was to make peaceful contact with the inhabitants. But there were none. He scratched that off the list. Next priority was to ensure the security of his men and the CO. Right now they were severely limited to a single on-foot platoon with minimal firepower.

He brought his radio up to his mouth. "LAV 2-1, this is 2-1 Sunray."

"Send, Sunray." The LAV crew commander immediately responded.

"We need your LAV up here at the village, how copy?"

"Solid copy, Sunray, we're on the move. Be there in a sec."

"Copy that, 2-1 Sunray out." Bryson stuffed his radio back into his vest and examined the village again. It was similar in design to the one they had to evacuate several days ago during their first encounter with the white fang. And with that, he would take no chances again. "All around defensive!" Bryson shouted.

Every soldier in the platoon raced over to the Lieutenant and formed a circle with weapons pointed in every direction. Minutes passed while they waited for the LAV to come forward. No movement and no sounds. It was a ghost town.

Farren stood up and made his way over the platoon commander. "Sir, we can't stay out here. It's too open."

"I know, I know. I'm thinking. This wasn't part of the god damn plan!" Bryson cursed under his breath and thought about how to proceed.

"Nothing's gone right in this place, Paul."

"Yeah but we were so damn close to finally meeting some people and _not_ getting shot at."

"Well, we're not getting shot at yet, so there's something. Work off of that, kid, just like I taught you."

Bryson shook his head and looked over his shoulder, expecting to see the LAV coming through the trees to join them. He did not. "Where the hell is he?"

Master Corporal Farren looked to the forest as well, thinking the same thing. "We're gonna need that LAV if we're hit."

"Carver!" Bryson shouted.

"Sir!" Jack looked over his shoulder.

"Go tell that LAV to put the pedal to the floor and get the hell over here!"

"On it, Sir!"

Jack pushed himself up and jogged away from the village into the woods again. The soldier trudged through the woods again, searching for the LAV. It should've been there by now. It may have been a massive, awkward metal death machine weighing almost seventeen tons, but it wasn't slow by any means. It could cap off at one hundred kilometers per hour, which was _not_ slow.

Jack leaped over a downed tree and spotted the armoured vehicle...just _sitting_ there…

"... _What the hell are they doing? Havin' a smoke break_?!" Jack whispered to himself and shook his head. "Hey! What's the damn hold up-" He stopped himself, having a realization.

Where was the Crew Commander? He wasn't in his usual position outside his hatch. The hatch remained open, but no soldier. The rear hatch had been dropped too.

He shouldered his rifle and began to approach the LAV III, keeping his weapon up and ready. His heart was pounding out of his chest. There had been no gunfire, meaning they weren't shot or didn't shoot back. The only possibility that he could think of was a Grimm surprise attack, but they were not exactly subtle creatures...There would be damage to the LAV and blood everywhere. They would have heard it.

 _So just what the hell was this?_

Jack halted on the side of the LAV, getting ready to turn the corner and engage any threat that may be in the back troop compartment of the LAV. He took a deep breath and sprung into action.

He turned the corner and his eyes widened. His finger went for the fire selector.

" _What the hell?!_ "

* * *

 **FORESTS OF VALE  
GHOST TOWN  
PRESENT TIME**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION COMMANDER  
** **MCPL FARREN**

"If they're hiding, they're way too quiet for civ-"

 _ **BANG BANG BANG**_

Three shots rang out in rapid succession. Everyone snapped their heads in the direction of the shots. They all froze. Three shots attributed to a C7A2.

"...Oh shit!" Farren got to his feet and readied his rifle, waiting for orders from Bryson.

"God damn it! Not this shit again! 2-Section, RNJR! Engage that threat right now! 2IC take over! Get this platoon and the CO inside one of these houses right now! GO!"

Upon the Platoon Commander's orders, the group dispersed to their respective tasks.

Farren and Owens darted into the forest with Jerome not far behind, but all of them were outrun by a red blur leaving rose petals behind.

"LAV 2-2, LAV 2-3, _GET UP HERE, NOW!_ " Bryson screamed into his radio while following the section into the woods.

"Solid copy, LAV 2-2 is oscar mike."

"2-3, en route."

The LAV came into view for Farren, but all he could see was team RNJR with their weapons drawn, standing outside the dropped troop hatch.

"Ruby! What's going on in there?" Farren shouted and sprinted at top speed to meet them. He turned the corner and took his place next to Ruby and peered into the LAV, seeing three Canadian soldiers against the steel floor and Jack at knifepoint, his C7 discarded and laying in the dirt. A lone figure gripped the cursing pilot, arm locked behind his back and knife to his neck.

"...Shit…" Owens muttered when he laid his eyes on the scene in the LAV.

"Jack!" Jerome raised his rifle. "Hang on buddy!"

"Hold your fire, Private!" Bryson caught up with the group.

* * *

 **FORESTS OF VALE  
PRESENT TIME**

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT**  
 **BRAVO COMPANY**  
 **1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

Jack felt the cold steel blade rest upon the jugular of his neck. The man had Jack locked in place, unable to move any part of his body enough to fight back. CQC training had prepared him for this situation, but whoever this guy was, he knew what he was doing. Just as Jack had begun to think about how nice it would be if the roles were reversed on his captor, Master Corporal Farren and a group of soldiers ran to Jack's aid, guns drawn.

"Son of a Bitch!" Jack thrashed around, to no avail.

Farren shouldered his rifle and took aim, going right for the captors head.

"Wait! You take a shot in there and miss, it'll ricochet. You could kill your own man. Take a breath George, let's handle this the right way..."

"Only way this gets handled is me putting a bullet in this bastard!"

"Just one?" The lieutenant smirked sarcastically, but he never took his eyes off the target.

"I'll make it hurt." Farrens disposition was focused on the innards of the LAV.

The three soldiers on the ground began to groan, proving they were still alive, but down and out.

"Just...everyone relax! We can figure this out! Let the kid go!" Bryson shouted

No response from the captor.

Dietz made his way through the grouping of soldiers, walking as calmly and slowly as possible. He came up beside Bryson and holstered his Browning 9mm.

"Any progress?"

"Sir, with respect, you shouldn't be out here without the Platoon! It's dangerous."

"Noted, Lieutenant, thank you. But as I understand there's a problem here, and I've come to figure out what that is. Would you mind if I took over here Lieutenant? My father was a desk Sergeant back home, I learned a few things from his trade."

"Sir, with all due respect, the CO should not be concerning himself with this. We can handle this."

"Why aren't we taking this more seriously?!" Nora exclaimed, watching the two officers converse in a relaxed state while there was a standoff going on.

"I have no doubt Lieutenant." Dietz crossed his arms and called into the LAV to Jack "How are you holding up in there Private?"

"I'm a little warm...Kind of thirsty. Could use a little bit more sleep. Oh and there's a knife to my throat, but other than that, just _fine_ sir!….Now could someone _waste_ this White Fang hoser?!" Being a smart ass was all Jack could think of to keep cool.

Jack felt the knife dig into his skin, just the slightest bit.

"I am _not_ White Fang garbage, let's get that straight, kid!" The captor hissed at the soldier.

Jack grunted. "Yeah...my bad...I must've confused you with the other scum bags that hold people at knifepoint…Someone just _shoot this asshole_! Come on guys...blow him away already!"

"We'll hit you, dipshit!" Owens shouted. "Just chill out!"

"Shoot through me then! Smoke this son of a bitch!" Jack's rant was fueled by slight panic.

"Jack, try to relax okay?! We'll get you out of there!" Ruby tried to calm the soldier.

He was visibly less tense when she spoke. Of course, he was still anxious. "...Yeah...yeah okay...just, let's get a move on okay? Might try something stupid!"

"Don't. You'd regret that." The man finally spoke, trying to maintain control of the situation with threats.

"If you wanted to, you would have killed Private Carver already. And those LAV crewmen would be dead as well." Dietz started, slowly approaching the LAV.

"You're up sir..." Bryson stepped back, allowing the Captain to do as he wished.

Dietz stopped, pondering for a moment while observing what he could of the stranger. Most of the man was covered by the struggling Private who tried to shake loose. From what he could see, the man was tall, taller than Carver. His clothing appeared handmade; there were irregularities in the stitching. There were two tactical pouches that came around his upper thigh, and a bow and arrow were visible on his back. What stood out most, however, was the Coyote-like ears resting atop his head. The man was a Faunus, that much was clear.

"Weapons down everyone, weapons down. That's an order." Dietz leaned slightly to his right to where Farren remained firm "If he tries anything Master Corporal-"

The order confused RNJR, who at first hesitated to comply.

"I've got a round with his foreheads name on it.."

Dietz pat Farren on the shoulder and took a few steps forward, making sure to keep to Farren's left to maintain a line of sight. Dietz retrieved his Browning, unloading it and kicking it to the ground. More of that aura of non-hostility he had been talking about.

"My name is Commander William Dietz, Commanding officer of that warship floating off the coast. If you want to leave here alive, you answer to me. If not, you answer to that man with the high powered rifle pointed at your head. Understood?"

"Atlas does not intimidate me. You've walked over us for too long."

"Lieutenant…?" Deitz quietly called back, glancing over his shoulder.

"Atlas, one of the four Kingdoms. Big military, technologically superior." Bryson looked to RNJR to ensure his information was correct. Upon Ruby giving him the nod, he passed it on to Dietz with confidence.

"We are not who you think we are." Dietz would have found the prospect of confusing them for native forces funny, were a soldier's life not at stake.

"Aren't you?"

"Look at us. Look at our uniforms. Look at the flag on the young man's arm. Do you recognize that flag? Do you recognize this pattern? What about the weaponry, and the vehicle?"

"...If you're not Atlas then who are you? Why are you here?"

"You let the good Private Carver there go, and I'll tell you."

"What about that big man there, you said he'd shoot me."

"That big man is also a soldier who follows orders. You let him go and I give you my word, you will not be harmed. Isn't that right _big man?_ "

The master corporal remained silent upon Detz asking the question.

"Master Corporal?"

Farren grunted to himself before replying. "That's right, Sir..."

It took a few seconds of a staredown before the mystery man responded. He slowly removed the knife from Jack's throat. Jack's hand immediately shot up to his throat, feeling it up like it was some sort of alien artifact. A small bit of blood stained his glove as he walked down the ramp to retrieve his C7. He stopped about halfway down the ramp. He turned around with his hand balled into a fist. Jack had to fight the urge to punch the man.

"Jack...get down here…" Jerome said quietly, snapping the soldier out of it.

Jaune grabbed the soldier by the shoulder and pulled him behind the front line standing off with the stranger. He made Jack lower his hand so he could inspect his throat for damage. There was a little cut, but nothing too serious.

"You okay?" Jaune asked.

"Y-Yeah. Asshole took out three of us by the time I got there and he jumped me. Managed to get three shots off...His aura took the rounds."

Ruby grabbed a cloth from a pouch on her belt and pressed it up against the soldier's throat. "Keep pressure on that, doesn't hurt to start fighting it now."

"Cheers, Rubes..." Jack's hand compressed the now red cloth against the small incision.

Trickles of sweat traveled down his forehead and his back while the gravity of the situation set in. He shook his head trying to get his head back in the game. "God damn it, man...that son of a bitch had a knife to my throat…"

"I know, but you're good, right?" Jaune lightly pat the soldier's cheek, testing his attentiveness.

"Yeah, not gonna tell my parents about that one. Or any of this." Jack forced a crooked grin before exhaling loudly.

"So who are you people?" The stranger wiped the small amount of blood off of his knife and placed it into a sheath on his shoulder. "Not Atlas, definitely not from Vale."

"That's one way of putting it. Have a seat, son." Dietz walked into the LAV, taking a seat on one of the troop carrying chairs before gesturing the stranger to sit as well.

The proximity between him and the captain made everyone uneasy. If he wanted to, he could lunge and kill the captain right then and there. Jack wasn't even sure if Farren, who was watching the man carefully with a readied stance and gaze, would be fast enough to kill him before he made a move. But it was a gamble the Captain had made, all they could do was hope it was a calculated gamble.

"Why don't we start with your name?"

"I don't think so. I let your Soldier go, I agreed to talk, I want the first answer. Who are you people?"

"We're the Canadian Forces. I'm a Captain in the Canadian Navy, and those men there are Infantry soldiers in the Canadian Army."

"...Canadian?"

"...Here we go again…" Jack sighed.

Even the Captain looked amused at the prospect of having to explain everything yet again. Although it was a reality they would have to face the longer they stayed in Remnant.

"We're foreigners, explorers if you will." Dietz started. "We...come from a country called Canada."

"Never heard of it." The warrior reached into his jacket abruptly.

The movement out of the blue, sprung Master Corporal Farren into action. He lifted his rifle, taking aim. The warrior's hand retreated from his jacket, slowly, holding a map.

"Easy, Master Corporal." Captain Dietz gestured the soldier to relax. "It's just a map."

"Show me." The man said while unfolding the map and placing it on his map. "Show me where."

For a moment, the Captain stared in awe the map, admiring its invaluableness to them. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"...Because Canada isn't on this map..."

The expression on the Faunus' face was soured with confusion.

"...What?"

"I said it's not on the ma-"

"I heard what you said...It just doesn't make any sense…"

"That's because they're not from Remnant." Jaune got straight to the point, tired of the beating around the bush.

"Kid, what do you take me for?"

"Look around you." Jaune pointed to the assortment of equipment, back peddling to the argument Dietz had made early in the negotiations. "Their weapons, their vehicles, their uniforms."

The man paused and thought about it momentarily before observing the soldiers more carefully.

"Seen anything like it before?" Jaune asked, knowing what the answer would be. The Huntsman crossed his arms across his chest plate and waited.

"No."

Jack had to applaud Jaune's more tactful explanation. It was far better and direct than his original contact with RNJR in the beachhead woods.

"Also, how easily did you take down the crew and Jack here? You even put a knife to his throat and caused slight bleeding. Unless you've got a semblance that cuts through Aura, they have none evidently."

It made more sense the more Jaune explained, which disturbed the man. Why would any of this make sense?

"You're a little young to be Huntsmen and Huntresses? Who are _you_ people?" He asked, this time exclusively addressing RNJR.

"They're old enough to drop _your_ ass!" Jack snapped.

"What about you, kid? Willing to give it another shot?!"

Jack slung his rifle and stepped forward, unfastening the velcro on his gloves, only to be held back by Ren and Nora.

"Private Carver, stand down!" Captain Dietz pointed to the soldier, but his eyes never left the stranger.

Jack exhaled loudly from his nose and fixed his posture once released. "Yes sir."

"We're Huntsmen and Huntresses in training." Ren explained.

"Then what are you doing all the way out here? You're a long way from Haven Academy."

Ruby sighed and nodded. "We know that, believe me. But we're not Haven students...We're from Beacon."

"Beacon? So some of you did survive…What are you doing all the way out here? What the hell happened?!"

"It's a long story, and we'd be happy to tell it. But let's start with your name."

The man sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Hunter."

 **TEMPORARY COMMAND POST  
** **ABANDONED VILLAGE  
** **20 MINUTES LATER**

Dietz remained silent throughout the interview. As Bryson asked the questions, Dietz stood back and listened, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together and find holes in his story, if there were any. Bryson's inquisitive nature was an essential asset in this circumstance, if the Forces didn't work out; he'd make one hell of a lawyer. Every so often he would look out at the soldiers going about their business, sometimes looking past them into the wilderness. Occasionally he would look out at the bonfire stretched across the length of the road. Even after hours since being lit, it's still roared a hot flame.

"So what happened to the people then? It looks like everyone up and vanished." Bryson was taking copious notes, ensuring he caught every important word and mannerism.

"They did." Hunter was forward, but confident in his answer.

"Did you have something to do with that?"

Hunter became visibly defensive. He pointed his finger accusingly at the officer.

"I did as much as I could when I knew what was happening. I would gladly lay down my life for these people." Realizing it was not an accusatory question, the man calmed down and took a sip of water. "Some stayed behind in order to fight. When I got back, this is what I found. When I saw you land on the beach with your ship and army, I assumed you were with them, coming back to finish the job."

"So what's with the bonfire in the middle of the road?" Dietz finally interjected, now turning his attention to their new asset

"That's rather simple it's-"

Farren stormed into the conversation. "Sorry to interrupt, Sir, but I have a situation report."

"That's fine Master Corporal. Let's make it quick."

Farren looked over to the man who had held Jack hostage just hours earlier. Farren gave him a scowl and turned back to address his superiors.

"Should the detainee be here for this, Sir? This is confidential."

"He's hardly a detainee, Master Corporal Farren. Hunter here is just explaining what's going on in the area. This is a sitrep Master Corporal, not really a breach of security. What do you have?"

Farren's angry eyes were hidden behind his tinted ballistic eyewear, but his jaw tensed as he grit his teeth. Something the captain took note of.

"I have rotating patrols sweeping the area and the injured are being looked at by the doc. A few hours of rest and they'll be good to go. They're just a tad bruised up and achin'. Everything else is SOP."

"Very good Master Corporal. But make sure the men are ready to leave when we give the call. Not much to see or do around here."

"Yes, sir." Farren turned on his heel and walked out.

"So, let me get this straight, 'cause this would make one hell of an action movie. This _was_ a farming village that _you_ lived in."

"For the last year or so, yeah."

"So walk us through what happened. Where are the farmers? Why did they leave?"

 **FORESTS OF VALE  
** **30+ HOURS AGO  
** **HUNTER**

Unlike the present time, the forest was lush with autumn leaves, and thick bushes, ripe with berries. As the sun cut through a cloud in the sky, Hunter cut a path through the vinery and bushes, followed by a few men with arrows. The two men at the back of the pack carried what was a wild deer. Varying men in the formation carried fish and other various hunting equipment. The men carried on like they just left a battlefield, taking a sigh of relief once they reached the road.

"Alright people, take five minutes. Get a drink, take a rest, whatever you have to do." Hunter sheathed his machete and took a look around for possible Grimm, or worse.

As the man sat down to have a drink of water, two shots rang out in the distance. The echo startled a flock of birds hiding amongst the treetops. The men looked at one another, startled and disoriented. As the men rose to their feet, Hunter ordered the others to hide in the treeline. As he ran towards the sound of the shots, he retrieved his bow and arrow that was slung around his back As he ran, he knocked his arrow and drew in preparedness for danger.

 **PRESENT TIME**

"And what did you find?" Bryson inquired

"A body. Atlas armor and tags. A child of one the farmers killed him." Hunter didn't make eye contact. He seemed distant, like he wasn't in the moment

"A child?" Bryson was taken aback, requiring confirmation

"Times were desperate."

 **30+ HOURS PRIOR  
** **HUNTER**

" _When I got there, I saw Mary standing over him. Her jacket looked as if it had been ripped off in a struggle. Ever since I came to town, I saw her teaching the other kids to fight. All the kids needed to act ten years older than they were. That was the life on the frontier. I told the kids not to play in the forest without an adult. But they were kids after all…"_

"I'm sorry Hunter! I'm sorry! I know what you said but-" The girl was twelve or thirteen, she was surprisingly calm despite taking a life, but she knew she had broken the rules and feared the repercussions.

"It's alright. You did nothing wrong. Now run home, I'll take care of this." Hunter had knelt down to look her in the eye.

"But-"

"No buts, go _home_."

The child, still visibly worried, ran back through the bushes towards the village. Hunter reached down and performed a fireman's carry on the body, balancing the limp man on his shoulder. The man alone was heavy enough, but he was packing a lot of gear, more than normal. Something was off. As he got through the treeline, he came upon the village where he was staying, his home for the last year. As he walked to the center of town, a man met him halfway. He was shorter and dressed more formally than the rest of the farmers. Behind him was the child Hunter had met in the forest.

"I was hoping Mary was just telling a story...What happened out there?"

"Another Atlas scout, more heavily armoured than the last one too. I think we should be preparing for the worst tonight. I'm not liking how this day has been playing out. Something's going down. Soon."

"Then we need to prepare the village. We're done taking orders from them." The man knelt down to the little girl's eye level and put his hand on either of her shoulders. "Run home to your parents Mary, let them know what happened and tell them to raise the militia."

"Mr. Walker, you can't expect to fight them. They're a professional army. After what they did to Beacon-"

"Beacon is exactly _why_ we need to fight. We will not succumb to these bullies as Vale did. I won't allow it."

 **PRESENT TIME**

The group listening to Hunter's retelling had gotten larger now. Jack, along with RNJR and the rest of 2 section were briefed and allowed to sit in. Jack took notes, describing the man and the story as swiftly as he could in his journal, filling the pages with retellings, tales, and descriptions of various heroes and monsters. The more he wrote, the more like a fairy tale his journal seemed to become...

"Atlas is attacking colonies? That's not like them." Ruby pointed out, looking back to the rest of RNJR for agreement.

"That would start a war if they were encroaching on other Kingdom's territories." Ren added.

"It wasn't until _after_ I returned that I started to have suspicions. They're a splinter group. They have no contact with the kingdom. When you all arrived, I thought you were a cleanup crew, here to destroy any hint of what happened. Hunter looked over at Jack who was seated next to Ruby. "I am sorry about that."

"Yeah, sorry I almost shot you in the face, I guess." Jack shrugged and then turned to Ruby and tried to defend his combat skill and dignity. "I still think I could've taken him. I mean, I got a few hits in on Fenrir, right? Even dropped the punks aura!"

"What?" Hunter dropped his story immediately.

"Continue." Bryson interjected. "Don't mind him."

"What did you say?" Hunter pointed at Jack, disregarding Bryson's comment.

The group was silent and turned to face the soldier who had been called out.

"I said I think I could take you." Jack shut his journal and stuck to his guns, using confidence to make him seem more robust.

"Not _that_! _Fenrir_! Did you say _Fenrir_?"

Jack's heart sank. Why did he know of Fenrir? "...Yeah...The White Fang prick? Know em?"

" _You_ dropped his Aura?" Hunter was genuinely shocked, as if there was any way that Jack could've done that.

"...Well...Yeah...I shot him...a lot…"

"Tell me _everything_ you did. Everything, be as detailed as you can!" Hunter pushed through the crowd and took a seat next to Jack.

Jack looked around for guidance, finding nothing in the blank expressions and shrugging huntsmen around him. He looked to Lieutenant Bryson, who had been interrupted. Bryson gestured with his hand, beckoning the Private to roll with it.

Jack cleared his throat and leaned forward. "Umm...Let's make a deal...You finish up telling the Lieutenant what he wants to know...and I'll tell you everything."

"Deal." Hunter quickly stood up and made his way back over to the Lieutenant to continue the story. "Where was I?"

" _Now we're gettin' somewhere._ " Jack muttered. Still, he had to wonder what the importance of Fenrir was to Hunter. Obviously, Hunter wasn't a member of the White Fang...Jack bore the cut for making that assumption. It would have to wait, though.

 **30+ HOURS PRIOR**

" _The militia was assembled in the center of town. I'd been training the locals for months, hoping that they would never need to use the training I provided. I was wrong. Anyone who was unable to fight was hidden in the common house. Anyone who could fight; did. That's the kind of people they were."_

"The attack will likely come from North-North-West. Priority should be to keep them out of the town limits for as long as possible." Hunter had drawn out likely flanking routes and estimated force sizes. A group of militia members, mostly farmers, tried to memorize and retain all the information they could

"What about the Model 130's?" One member pointed out.

 **PRESENT TIME**

"What are 'Model 130's'? Are they a weapon?" Bryson inquired.

"Early model androids that Atlas built years ago. We encountered them once before, nothing more than expensive cannon fodder." Hunter explained

"Atlas developed new ones based on the 130 model. It's how Beacon was destroyed." Ren added.

Jerome, who had been hugging his knees down by Jack's feet, bored, looked up at the mention of the Atlesian machines.

"Jack, did you hear that?" He looked equally terrified and excited. "They have Arnold Schwarzenegger on their side! How the hell are we supposed to beat the Terminator? I can't kill Arny, Jack. That's where I draw the line!" He whispered to his friend, who had looked completely confused.

Jack's confusion was justified. Ever since they arrived in Remnant, all they had seen were Grimm and small rustic settlements. Spare the Huntsmen and Huntress' weapons and dust munitions, there weren't many technological marvels around. But now they were hearing about fully operational military androids. He made sure to jot it down in his book.

 **EARLIER**

"Those robots are old and stupid. They aren't the Atlesian Knights that hit Beacon. They'll walk with the rest of the main force down the road. Obstruct their path and they won't know what to do. Whoever's left will need to go around."

 _We dragged all the furniture we could to the western road. Bed frames, old cribs, desks, anything that could burn was piled and lit. The farmers extract this oil from the local flora that helps expedite the growing process on the crops. It also burns like a bitch._

The village, which just hours prior was teaming with life, looked like a ghost town. Lamps which were usually lit remained as cold as the air. The farmers took positions around the west road, a few meters in front of the burning barricade they had constructed

"It's past midnight, where are they? What's taking so long." A farmer asked

"When bullets start flying and you're frozen in fear, you're going to think back to this moment. Enjoy the peace." Hunter replied

The militia the farmers set up was sizeable, through Hunter knew in the back of his mind that it wouldn't be big enough. This whole situation would be suicide for the village, and he seemed to be the only one who knew that, or cared. An hour passed, then two and halfway through the third hour, they came. The robots were first, marching two by two, followed closely by roguish looking soldiers. They didn't march with discipline or have any cleanliness to their uniform.

" _The 130's stopped dead in their tracks once they reached the village, didn't know what to do with the blockade. After we chased them into the forest, it all went dark. By the time I got back to the village, they were gone. The farmers, the kids, everyone. I searched around for hours, until I saw your ship on the horizon. They took them, all of them. I'm all that's left."_

 **FOREST OF VALE  
** **ONE KLICK NORTH-WEST OF VILLAGE  
** **PRESENT TIME**

"They must have gone around the village while we pushed the other forces back...They took everyone. The men, the women, and the children. I'm it..."

Jack looked up from his journal, a soured expression on his face.

"Why?" Jaune asked aloud.

"Your guess is as good as mine, kid." Hunter shrugged. "Labour? Control of the territory? We're the only other people out here...I figured at first Atlas had waged war after the attack on Beacon...but considering what you've told me I don't really know."

Owens and Farren had been standing next to the Lieutenant, coming up with their own theories.

"What about the food?" Owens asked.

"What?" Hunter looked over his shoulder.

"You said it yourself, you're the only other people out here. You have food and homes. They want what you got."

"If they are truly rogue, that's a likely possibility." Ren added his opinion to the mix.

"I think we're all missing an important detail here, boys." Corporal Ross, who had been entirely silent during the whole mission, finally spoke up.

"What's that?" Owens asked.

"What the hell is gonna happen to those people?"

"...Well..." Hunter scratched his chin. "These rogues are ruthless. I've seen it. I imagine they'll work them to the death for food harvests...or if they fight back or resist...they'll die."

Jack shut his journal and shoved it into his cargo pocket. The abrupt movement caught both Jerome and Ruby off guard and startled them as the soldier stood up and worked his way through the crowd and to the front.

"What can we do?" Jack asked, a little too direct for his own good.

"Jack, stop right-" Farren intended to cut the soldier off, only for himself to be.

"They're just kids and farmers, boss!" Jack argued. "You heard Hunter, these people are gonna die!"

"That's not your decision to make, Privat-"

"No, he's right, Master Corporal Farren." Surprisingly, Ross came to Jack's aid.

While on the inside, Farren agreed with the young soldier, he still had to maintain the chain of command and attempt to keep the trooper in line.

"Your job is to kill people, and mine is to help people, and your soldier is right, those people are gonna die if we sit here." Ross, as the company medic was entitled to an opinion regarding the health of the men and the populas surrounding the company.

The most shocking thing was the lack of any opinion coming from Bryson and the Captain. Both sat silently, watching it play out.

"Where are the Atlesian's set up, Hunter?" Captain Dietz calmly asked.

Farren turned his head to face the captain, shocked.

"Sir, any decision you make I will follow to the death, but with all due respect, if we do this, we're getting involved in indigenous conflicts. Are we sure we want to go that route?"

"He has a point, Sir." Bryson sighed.

"You agreed to help us, though." Ruby pointed out.

Dietz failed to retort, as, in the moment, the decision was made because they needed desperate help. This situation was slightly different.

"The mission was to communicate with this local population peacefully, ask for information and hopefully set up a trade line. These rogues are an obstacle to that objective." Carver tried to make his point heard again.

"Jack, I swear to God." Farren lifted his finger, ordering the soldier to shut his mouth.

The Captain observed the soldier momentarily, pleased with the response.

"Gentlemen, please." Dietz raised his hands, quieting the men down. "I've made my decision. Lieutenant, you and I need to talk." Dietz stood up and gestured the platoon commander to follow.

Once the officers had left, Farren stormed over to the confused looking Private.

"Come with me. Now."

Jack sighed, knowing he was in for it.

The superior and the subordinate walked off to the side, out of earshot of the group, however, not out of sight.

"You need to smarten up, kid. The beauty about the army is that decision made by higher ranks aren't up for discussion." Farren pressed a finger against Jack's body armour.

"What if it was one of us?" Jack shrugged. "You'd go, I know you would! Because it's the right thing to do."

"But it's not one of us!"

Jack grit his teeth, but fought against arguing for his own good.

"Look, Jack, I get it. You want to do the right thing. So do I. But you need to learn when to follow orders. I know you can, I've seen you do it. You're a talented soldier, don't throw it all away on an attitude."

"I don't understand."

"What do you mean you don't understand? What is there not to understand?"

"I was told never to take the easy way out...Always do the right thing. And boss, helping those people is the right thing to do."

Farren was about to speak until shouting, and other raised voices caught their attention. Both men turned to observe what the noise was about. Similar arguments broke out about what to do. Get involved or not.

"...It looks like you have some support, kid."

Private Carver watched in slight shock, surprised he garnered that much support from Ross and the others. Still, it wasn't right to have dissent among the ranks.

"It all comes down to what the Captain says, but realize that if we go in, people are gonna die, good people. And we're gonna make a name for ourselves, and maybe not a good one. Are you ready to face that?"

The soldier thought carefully about this. Killing Atlesian soldiers if it were to come to that, wouldn't be a good image for them. However, making peaceful contact with Huntsmen then liberating a village might be. It was a gamble, like all moves they would make in Remnant.

"Yes."

SEVERAL MINUTES LATER

Once Hunter had finished his story, Dietz and Bryson had a long talk alone. Undoubtedly they were debating on whether or not to get involved in local conflict and risking Canadian lives to do it. Whoever needed convincing to save the civilians, lost.

"Lieutenant!" Farren yelled to his platoon commander who was directing a section of soldiers loading supplies onto the LAV.

"-Just finish loading those crates and then report back to me what's left." The lieutenant had started to walk to Farren, calling back to the soldier who now seemed lost without the direction.

"What do you need Farren?"

The Master Corporal took a second to think, not because he didn't know what he wanted, but because he didn't know how to put it without seeming insubordinate.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Bryson had his helmet underneath his arm and he looked visibly uncomfortable

"Always."

"I don't trust him."

"Who?"

"Who do you think? Our new house guest. He's hiding something. He's got soldier arguing against soldier back there over our next course of action."

Bryson snickered, playing it off as a poor-sport mentality "I think you're pissed that he one-upped us. That he one-upped your protege. You didn't trust Ruby at first either. In fact, you tried to shoot her, and then shot Private Carver in the chest when he dove in front."

"Think about it, Paul. It wasn't until _after_ he learned we weren't Atlas he decided to let Jack go. One moment he's a one-man army, the next he's spilling his guts to us and splitting up the ranks. It ain't right."

"Are you saying that we should kick him to the curb? He's been an invaluable asset to us this far. He's the first person we've met other than Ruby and her team. If we go through with this, save those people, we have a whole village on our side. We could have _food_ , George. Food _and_ Intel. We have to take this chance."

The comment on resources and intelligence made the Master Corporal uncomfortable. It didn't seem right to help those in need for a reward. The damn kid was getting to him...

"Is that why we're doing this...? Food and Intel?" He sounded more like Carver than himself.

"You know that isn't what I meant. Intel and food is the difference between life and death out here, George. We need that. Of course, it's the right call to save those people, but I'll be damned if I turn down those valuable resources as a result."

Farren sighed and pondered to himself for a few minutes before changing the subject back to Hunter.

"All I'm saying is, watch your back. I wouldn't put it past him to make this whole thing up to escape, or to lead us to a trap."

Bryson thought quietly. Farren was one of the best soldiers in the platoon with an impeccable gut instinct. Extra security precautions wouldn't cost them anything, and if Farren was right, he would regret not taking the advice.

"You're going to be with upfront with us, okay? We'll zip tie his hands and keep him guarded. I'm sure the Captain wouldn't mind having you watch his back again.

* * *

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE CARVER**

Within half an hour the entire patrol was packed up and on the road towards Atlas' base on the island. The decision had been made to make contact with the Atlesian's in search of a peaceful resolution. If they resisted negotiations, proper escalation of force was to be used to rescue the prisoners...if they were still alive. An update was sent to the Brock to join them on the northern coast of the island, if they got the chance upon completion of the repairs. The road was dirt carved out of a treeline. Every so often the LAV would kick up a whole lot of dirt and Jack would inhale the particles. After about two hours the group finally stopped at the base of a steep hill. Jack rested upon the trunk of a tree and dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, taking long and hard gulps of water from his canteen.

"That was some nasty ass terrain. I haven't done a march like that since BMQ...I can feel the blisters forming..." Jerome found a rock next to Jack to lay on while the officers talked again with the POW.

"Boy, do you two have the right idea." Sam came up on Jacks left and laid down in the dirt, no care for lumbar support as he did.

"Did you guys inhale a pound of dirt on that trip or was that just me?" Jack spit some of his water out after trying to cleanse his mouth of dust.

"Yeah, since when do we march behind the LAV while Farren gets to mingle with the Officers?" Sam added.

"Remember boys! LAVs spread disease! So stay light Infantry!" Jerome impersonated their company commander, who would always remind the company of one invaluable transportation device should the LAVs break down; their legs.

"Pfft, death before dismount…" Jack muttered.

Sam pat the troops on the arms, garnering their attention.

"Heads up, Farrens coming this way and he doesn't look happy."

"When does he ever?" Jerome whispered.

The three soldiers slowly rose to their feet, looking like old men rising from a rocking chair when they did. As they stood waiting to be addressed, the three took a second to dust each other off.

"Two-section on me, the detainee is going to show us something pretty and the sirs' want us there. Let's hustle."

The group of men gathered their gear and weapons, following closely behind their Master Corporal. Bryson was in the midst of doing roll calls when the section arrived.

"Two-section, present and accounted for." Farren announced upon their arrival on the scene.

"Good. Hunter, fill these fine gentlemen in." Lieutenant Bryson took a step back, letting Hunter take it from there.

"The Atlesian base is just visible from the top of this hill. It's fortified and lightly defended the last I heard. The prisoners will be kept in the deepest part of the base. Once I show you, I can point out weaknesses in the defences. Any questions?"

"Yeah." Farren said with a raised hand. "What kind of shit are my men walking into? Enemy firepower?"

"We'll be facing Atlesian Infantry and Atlesian Mechs. They have good training and weaponry, but being rogues has obviously taken a toll on discipline and their quality of work. The mechs are old walking scrap, so focus your fire, and you'll be okay. These aren't the mechs your Huntsmen here faced at Beacon. We have superior numbers and discipline."

Bryson saw Farren glaring at him from the corner of his eye. His expression did all the talking it needed. As the group dispersed, Bryson approached Dietz who was looking over a manifest

"Before we go, Sir, may I have a word with you?" Bryson appeared to be visibly concerned. Much like Farren, he wasn't sure how to bring up the topic to the Captain.

"Of course. Master Corporal, have everyone ready to move in five and watch Hunter for me."

"Yes, Sir." Farren leaned back against the lav and kept his finger on the trigger guard, keeping a direct line of sight on the prisoner.

"I think we should reconsider our relationship with our asset."

"Hunter?"

"I'm hearing dissent amongst the lower ranks. They don't like how we're playing ball."

"Is this why you had him zip tied and guarded at the last minute?"

"If I'm wrong we lose nothing. If I'm not, then…"

"Message received." Dietz took a moment to plan out how this was going to work. Hunter would not like being shafted at the last minute. He needed an excuse.

"Corporal Klinger, have our friend here draw out a map of the region. I want to know the best possible approach and every defence on our path."

As the three men climbed the mountain, the vista below began to reveal itself until an unknown object came into view. Once they reached the top, one thing became vitally clear; Atlas wasn't using a conventional structure as their base, nor was it lightly guarded. There, planted on the beachhead was an Atlesian _battleship._ Debris from its wings and superstructure littered the landscape around it. Broadside batteries had devastated the land on either side of the ship which made that the worst part of the whole situation. It had power, and enough firepower to sink the Brock and kill any progress they had made. It had enough ordinance to obliterate the expedition several times over.

This would change things. Greatly.

"He lied." Farren murmured bluntly. "I don't know about you, but that is not what he described. _Lightly guarded base_? That's a fuckin' warship and an army! If we roll up there in our LAVs this is gonna be Op Medusa all over again…"

"Bring Hunter up here, immediately. He'll answer to me." Dietz' hand formed into a fist as he contemplated his next action. He was played, they all were.

Farren and Bryson both raced back down the hill following Dietz' order. Farren was the first down the hill; he was both pissed that he turned out to be right, and happy he got to rough up the man who threatened Jack. It seemed like a little bit of justice to Farren. At the top of the hill, Dietz retrieved a pair of binoculars to get a read on the area. As he got to what he presumed was the bow, big blue letters carried out the name of the battleship.

"Alsius."

* * *

 _A/N: And so the crew of the Brock and the Grunts of 1RCR delve deeper into Remnant to meet new people, coming across more dilemmas and violence as they press on. What else could go wrong, right? As always, we hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Please feel free to let us know what you thought or if you have any questions, fire away. We're curious to see how you all are liking the characters and what's going on. By the way, new terms and even a new category has been added to the glossary. Lastly, should anyone want to try and have a Steam or Xbox game night, hit us up on Steam (Steam IDs: The Dusty Scrub, Starwarsmast3r) and Xbox (GTs: A Savage Goose, Starwarsmast3r)_

* * *

 **-*GLOSSARY OF TERMS*-**

 _ **REGIMENTS:**_

 **RCR-** The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
 **PPCLI-** Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army.  
 **R22R-** The Royal 22e Régiment, or The Royal 22nd Regiment (Commonly known as: _The Van Doos_ ); the third and final Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army. (We haven't mentioned this Regiment as of this chapter, but we thought it was important to put down).  
 **JTF2-** Joint Task Force 2, Canadian Tier 1 Special Forces.

* * *

 _ **STRUCTURE:**_

 **BATTALION-** An organization of rifle companies and a support company. (Usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel)  
 **COMPANY-** An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon. (Usually commanded by a Captain or Major)  
 **PLATOON-** An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment. (Usually commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or full Lieutenant)  
 **SECTION-** A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad") (Usually commanded by a Sergeant or a senior Master Corporal)  
 **FIRE TEAM-** A team of 2 soldiers (Commanded by the most senior member of the fireteam)

* * *

 _ **COMMAND: - *NEW ENTRIES*  
**_ **  
IC-** Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)  
 **2IC-** Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)  
 **CM** \- Commissioned Member. A Canadian Forces member who holds a commission from the Queen or reigning Monarch of England. Typically known as "Officers" (2nd Lieutenant and above)  
 **NCM-** Non-Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)  
 **COMPANY QUARTERMASTER-** Company Quartermaster, or CQ, is the individual appointed by the chain of command to be in charge of the company's weaponry maintenance, keeping track of and handing out weaponry. - _***NEW***_

* * *

 _ **GEAR:**_

 **CADPAT-** Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc).  
 **COMBAT SHIRT-** A combat shirt is different from the traditional military top. It is a top designed to be worn beneath heavy sweat inducing body armour. The torso is made of a soft, moisture-wicking material similar to that of Under Armour to provide comfort. The arms are made of traditional uniform material and still have the CADPAT camouflage printed on them. (For a visual, search "Cadpat Combat Shirt" on google images).  
 **TAC VEST-** Short for Tactical Vest. Tactical Vests are load bearing equipment that holds useful supplies for soldiers. Specifically ammunition, grenades and medical supplies.  
 **IFAK-** Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest.  
 **FRAG VEST-** The Canadian Forces' Frag Vest is designed to protect against fragmentation, however, has since seen an upgrade featuring slots for ballistic plates to protect the wearer's vital organs from ballistic weapons.  
 **LEVEL 3+ PLATES-** Ballistic plates designed by AR500 Armor, provides significant protection from firearms (slots into the Frag Vest).  
 **MECHANIX M-PACT-** The M-Pact series glove has individual thermoplastic rubber finger guards to protect against blunt force trauma against the hands and fingers as well as a reinforced index finger and thumb pieces to increase grip on tools or weaponry.

* * *

 ** _INFANTRY WEAPONS:_**

 **C7A2-** Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. Similar platform to the US Armed Forces' M4 and M16 series. 5.56x45mm round.  
 **C8-** Carbine variant of the C7A2. (Shorter barrel length than the full sized C7A2).  
 **C9A2 LMG-** Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249  
 **C6 GPMG-** The C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon, however, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III  
 **BROWNING HI-POWER-** Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however, on deployments, they are issued to common troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power, not 'High' Power oddly enough). Chambered in 9mm.  
 **M203-** Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade.  
 **C-13-** Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry.  
 **FOURTY MIKE MIKE-** Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike.  
 **THE 9-** Slang for the C9A2 LMG  
 **CARL GUSTAV-** The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti-armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.  
 **M32 MGL-** A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps).  
 **C14 TIMBERWOLF-** The Timberwolf is the Sniper Rifle used by the Infantry's sniper units. It is a bolt action rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum

* * *

 _ **NON-INFANTRY WEAPONS:**_

 **JDAM-** The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs" into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground.  
 **MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY-** Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations.  
 **25MM CANNON-** The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"  
 **ARTY-** Short for Artillery.  
 **AA-** Anti-Air

* * *

 _ **VEHICLES:**_

 **CF-18-** Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant.  
 **MILCOT-** Military Commercial Off the Shelf (Military acquired vehicles)  
 **CH-146 GRIFFON-** The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-use utility helicopter of the Huey family, designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant for the Canadian Armed Forces  
 **CH-148 Cyclone-** The CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations and is intended to replace the venerable CH-124 Sea King, which has been in operation since 1963. Primarily operated by the RCAF  
 **LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT-** The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military.  
 **SEA KING-** The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian Naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces since 1963.  
 **SEA AVENGER-** Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft.  
 **LAV-** Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry  
 **RHIB-** Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow  
 **HMCS ALGONQUIN-** Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification.  
 **HMCS BONAVENTURE-** Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy.  
After a service of 14 years, she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971.  
 **HMCS ENDEAVOUR-** Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition.  
 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK-** Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed-wing aircraft.  
 **HMCS VICTORIA-** One of four long-range hunter-killer (Sub-Surface Killer) submarines of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia.  
 **USS PENNSYLVANIA-** SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad.

* * *

 _ **POLITICAL:  
**_ **  
PM-** Prime Minister of Canada  
 **MND-** Minister of National Defence  
 **CDS-** Chief of the Defence Staff  
 **NATO-** North Atlantic Treaty Organization  
 **J.A.G-** Judge Advocate General. The entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals.

* * *

 _ **NAVAL TERMINOLOGY: - *NEW ENTRIES***_

 **BOW-** Front of a boat  
 **CIC-** Combat Information Center  
 **CVN-** Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar.  
 **CIWS-** (Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is Gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome-like housing.  
 **C.O-** Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain. Typically the "Captain" has the rank of Commander despite being the "Captain" (Senior Officer) of the vessel. (Confusing, right?)  
 **EMP-** Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range  
 **X.O-** Second in Command of the Vessel. Typically the X.O. holds the rank of Lieutenant-Commander  
 **FANTAIL-** Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel  
 **FLANK SPEED-** Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger.  
 **HELM/HELMSMAN-** Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. The helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgment calls on behalf of officers.  
 **HMCS-** Her Majesty's Canadian Ship.  
 **ISLAND TOWER-** The bridge tower on the starboard side of the vessel. Primary entrance and exit for those on the flight deck.  
 **KNOT-** Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles.  
 **NAV/ NAVIGATION OFFICER-** Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control, and listening stations.  
 **OOW-** Officer of the Watch. Also, acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge.  
 **PORT-** Left-hand side of the ship  
 **REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES- **Safety protocols to protect the engines from long-term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target.  
 **TAO-** (Tee- aee-oh) Tactical Operations Officer who is in charge of coordinating fire control on a naval vessel.  
 **QUIET ORDERS-** Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface.  
 **STARBOARD-** Right-hand side of the ship  
 **STERN-** Back of a ship  
 **CONN-** The act of controlling a ship's movement and direction. ** _\- *NEW*  
_ 1MC- **Ship-wide public address system. **_-_ *** _ **NEW*  
**_ **BRIDGE WING-** A balcony type platform only accessible on the bridge that allows for an unobstructed view of a ships surroundings. ***** _ **NEW*  
**_

* * *

 _ **BASES: - *NEW ENTRIES*  
  
**_ **CFB PETAWAWA-** Headquarters for 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment.  
 **CFB ESQUIMALT-** Headquarters for the Canadian Pacific Fleet. Located on Victoria Island, British Columbia.  
 **CFB HALIFAX-** Headquarters for the Canadian Atlantic Fleet. Located in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  
 **UNS BASE GUAM-** United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance  
 **CFB EDMONTON-** CFB Edmonton, also referred to as "Club-Ed" is a detention facility for Canadian Forces members run by the Military Police. _**\- *NEW*  
**_

* * *

 ** _CHARACTERS: - *NEW CATEGORY*_**

 **ARMY**

 **PRIVATE JACK CARVER-** A relatively new member to 1RCR, Jack Carver is a seventeen-year-old Toronto born soldier in the Canadian Army's Infantry Corps. Jack joined the army to emulate his father, Desmond, and serve his country. The young soldier is fairly awkward, credited to his age. He can be sarcastic and quippy, but most believe this to be in defence of his nervousness and awkwardness. Though young and relatively inexperienced prior to the Remnant Incident, Jack Carver has the potential to be a hyper-lethal soldier as he is reported to have a sense of purpose that is almost frightening  
 **PRIVATE JEROME LEWIS-** Close friend and fireteam partner to Jack Carver, Jerome Lewis, a nineteen-year-old Infantry soldier, joined the military and was placed on the same BMQ and Infantry course as Jack, and was posted to 1RCR with him, forging a close bond between the soldiers over their years of training together. Lewis is often described as the funny man of the group, often earning the nickname "Joker" among peers and is almost always trying to crack a joke to lighten the situation.  
 **CORPORAL SAM OWENS-** A generally moody, yet talented C9 machine gunner, Corporal Owens is the second in command of 2-Section to test his capabilities for a primary leadership course to obtain the rank of master corporal. For the most part, Corporal Owens cares little about the rank, and more about the well being of his men, even if it's hard to notice under his brash demeanor.  
 **CORPORAL CODY ROSS-** The Company medic for Bravo Company, Cody Ross is a talented medical expert, having spent years as an EMT before enlisting in the Canadian Army to treat battlefield wounds.  
 **CORPORAL JOSEPH AIDEN-** Joseph Aiden is a company asset Sniper for Bravo Company, 1RCR assigned to a sniper team led by Warrant Officer Gage. Aiden is reported as being relatively laid back and calm that lines up with most snipers in the Canadian Forces.  
 **MASTER CORPORAL GEORGE FARREN-** 1RCR veteran soldier George Farren is one of the experienced soldiers in the battalion, having several tours in Afghanistan including the infamous Operation Medusa in which Farren engaged and killed several enemy combatants. He is now the commander of 2-Section within 1st Platoon to test his leadership capabilities and to prepare him for the rank of Sergeant. He knows how to kill, now the chain of command tests if he can lead.  
 **LIEUTENANT PAUL BRYSON-** Paul Bryson initially joined the military as a non-commissioned member and was trained by Master Corporal Farren on his Infantry course. Sometime after, the man commissioned, using his university degree to become an Officer and now leads 1st Platoon within Bravo Company of 1RCR.  
 **LIEUTENANT COLONEL DARREN REID-** Darren Reid is the Commanding Officer of the entire 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment after spending several years as a lower ranked officer in the Battalion. An experienced soldier and leader.

* * *

 **NAVY**

 **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ-** Commanding Officer of the Isaac Brock, Captain William Dietz is a seasoned sailor in the Royal Canadian Navy. Dietz first tour of duty was on Canada's last aircraft carrier, HMCS Bonaventure and slowly climbed the ranks until his first command during the first Gulf War in 1991. After his many commands and long career, Dietz has become old guard in the Navy. He heavily follows protocol, even when the situation may not call for it. This made him the prime candidate for command of the Navy's newest flagship. The Isaac Brock has had many successful deployments under Dietz, but Remnant will test even his resolve.  
 **LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MICHAEL KENDALL-** Serving as Executive Officer aboard the Brock, Lieutenant- Commander Michael "Mike" Kendall is a fresh face in the Royal Canadian Navy. For many years he served as a pilot in the Airforce before changing his trade to the Navy. Unlike many officers, Kendall takes a more hands-on approach to leadership. He is considered the buffer between the higher officers and non-commissioned members aboard the ship. This alternate approach to command means he sometimes bends the rules to get results, putting him at odds with Dietz. Like any good soldier Kendall remains loyal to a fault, and despite their differences, Dietz and Kendall run one of the most highly rated crews in the Navy.  
 **LIEUTENANT ASHLEY BECKETT-** Lieutenant Ashley Beckett is one of the many officers who works behind the scenes to keep the ship running smoothly. Her position as Officer of the Watch leaves her in command whenever Dietz or Kendall are not manning the bridge and relays all commands aboard the ship. Unlike her XO, Beckett's family is career Navy, meaning her only real choice was between serving on a surface vessel or submarine. Like many of the lower officers, she still has much to learn from those appointed above her  
 **CHIEF RICHARD ENGINEER SCOTT-** Without the engineering prowess of Chief Engineer Richard Scott, the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock would simply be a 41,000 tonne paperweight. A tedious education through the Royal Military College, Fleet school and a masters in marine engineering made him a prime candidate for the Brock's senior command. Nicknamed after the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise, Scotty is a workaholic who mainly keeps to the lower decks, though he'll tell you "It's not work if you love it." Scotty marshals the resources of tens of highly trained engineers and oversees one of the most complex power plants at sea. There simply is no one more qualified than him, or crazy enough.

* * *

 **AIRFORCE**

 **LIEUTENANT OLIVIA LANGER-** Taking after her mother, Langer joined the airforce the moment she could with the intent of flying jets. After some time flying CF-18's and even instructing, Langer wanted to try something new and transferred to the tactical helicopter squadrons that fly the CH-146. **  
**

* * *

**REMNANT**

 **RUBY ROSE-** The daughter of legendary team STRQ members Tai-Yang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, Ruby sought the warrior's life from a young age after hearing stories of grandeur and the importance of heroes in Remnant's history. After attending Signal, a precursor combat school, and constructing her Scythe Sniper Rifle; Crescent Rose, Ruby was pushed up two years to attend Beacon Academy after encountering Professor Ozpin. She was the leader of team RWBY. Since the fall of Beacon after the White Fang and Grimm assaulted the facility, Ruby now aims for Haven to track down those responsible, before they can enact the same terror on Haven Academy.  
 **NORA VALKYRIE-** Eccentric warrior and faithful companion to Ren, Nora Valkyrie is a heavy hitting huntress in training who attended Beacon academy as a part of team JNPR. After the fall of Beacon, Nora joined the remainder of her team and Ruby Rose in her mission to travel to Haven academy and bring those responsible for the fall of beacon to justice.  
 **JAUNE ARC-** With a family legacy of heroes, Jaune saught the life of heroics from a young age and even forged documents to attend beacon academy, though severely lacking in skill. With the aid of comrade Pyrrha Nikos, the leader of team JNPR developed leadership and combat skills during his tenure. After the death of Pyrrha, Jaune joined RNJR in a bid to locate those responsible.  
 **LIE REN-** The calm and collected warrior Lie Ren has spent a better part of his life with Nora Valkyrie after his village was destroyed by a powerful creature of Grimm. Together they made their way to Beacon in order to become a Huntsman and Huntress  
 **HUNTER-** Hunter is a man stricken with tragedy, but pushed by duty. Much like Jack his hate for the White Fang is his guiding principle. He will do whatever it takes to see thier movement burn. Once a member of a large and productive community, everything Hunter knew was swept out from under him. Hunter is a stalker, he lurks in the shadows and his coyote-like traits make him an excellent huntsman. Now, he works with the strangers from a mysterious land to enact revenge on those who took everything from him. But they won't always see eye to eye.

* * *

 **HOSTILES**

 **LIEUTENANT FENRIR-** A ruthless and savage White Fang warrior, not much is known about the past of Fenrir, other than that his grandparents were great war veterans and his parents were White Fang members killed in a riot. The warrior shows no mercy against human threats and now directs his rage at the strangers, particularly one individual who managed to deplete his aura.  
 **CAPTAIN ACCALIA-** The older sister of Fenrir, Accalia is a _lethal_ warrior, trained to fight and kill from a young age. However, unlike her brasher younger brother, Accalia is a brilliant tactician who opts to use her mind rather than her weapons but will occasionally join in the fray to keep her skills sharp.

* * *

 **NON-COMBATANTS**

 **DOCTOR BRIAN GROVE-** Doctor Grove was a scientist aboard the HMCS Endeavour upon the first discovery of the Remnant Anomaly. He and members of his team were sent beyond the threshold to study what lied beyond. Upon their arrival, they were attacked by the Grimm and Grove was the sole survivor and was rescued weeks later by Private Carver and Master Corporal Farren. **  
ALEX CARVER-** Younger brother to Private Jack Carver, Alex was born when the Carver family was still living on a military base. By the time Alex was old enough to go to school, he developed cancer in his body and his father retired from the Military as a result, and Jack began his aspirations to serve. To emulate his father and his older brother, Alex dreams of becoming a soldier just like his brother.  
 **MAJOR (RETIRED) DESMOND CARVER-** The father of Private Jack Carver, Desmond Carver was a soldier in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry for decades, obtaining legendary status for his many tours and heroics. Much of the man's service record is blacklisted, placing a shroud of confusion around the soldier, all that is known is that he was a Jump Qualified combat soldier for a long time before becoming a Major.  
 **CATHERINE CARVER-** Spouse of legendary soldier Desmond Carver and Mother of aspiring legend Jack Carver, Catherine is used to the military lifestyle after moving between posts for years before the birth of the couples first son, Jack.  
 **PRIVATE (KIA) DAVID FARREN-** Private Farren was the son of Master Corporal George Farren and was killed in Afghanistan during Operation Medusa. The young soldier was in a different company than his father to avoid conflict of interest but was killed nonetheless by Taliban RPG fire.

* * *

 _ **MISC: - *NEW ENTRIES***_

 **DANGER CLOSE-** A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position. Within 500m of the unit in question.  
 **BMQ-** Basic Military Qualification that ALL Canadian Forces members (Regardless of trade they chose) must go through prior to trade training (An Infantry soldier must do BMQ before going on his/her Infantry course)  
 **OPERATION OVERLORD-** The Allied assault on Normandy on June 6th, 1944 during the Second World War. Regarded as the largest amphibious assault in human history.  
 **AAR-** After Action Report  
 **CCP-** Casualty Collection Point  
 **FOB-** Forward Operating Base  
 **CONCERTINA WIRE-** Coils of barbed wire  
 **ACK-** Acknowledged  
 **ROG-** Roger  
 **TRIAGE-** Triage is the process of determining the priority of patient treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately.  
 **VSA-** Vital Signs Absent. Reported when an individual has no pulse.  
 **HE-** High Explosive round capable of intense damage.  
 **IMP-** Individual Meal Pack - A ration pack containing heatable food, snacks, and beverages for a single soldier  
 **REVEILLE-** A signal to arise. Often meaning the wake-up call or signal to get up.  
 **SOP-** Short for Standard Operating Procedure. A predetermined method of dealing with specific scenarios.  
 **POG-** Short for Personnel/Persons Other than Grunt, a term generally used in a demeaning manner for members who are not in the Infantry. - _ ***NEW***_


	10. The Alsius

_A/N: Hello again! We are BACK. We give our sincerest apologies for the immense delay, between moving, promotions at work leading to more responsibility and University, both myself and Starwarsmast3r were a little taxed and had this on the back burner. We had been working on this one for quite some time, little chunks at a time. I won't lie I feel a little rusty at writing so I apologize in advance. We really hope you're glad to see it back and hope that this chapter was worth the wait. Some really cool stuff is coming soon which I've been bouncing off the walls to get out for you. This one here is an interesting one, during some points in the narrative we explore vaguely the history of how the Alsius got to where it is now from the Battle of Beacon and the Siege on Vale. Not all the answers are given and the pieces have to be put together, which more will be coming with the next. Anyways, we hope you enjoy and sincerely thank you for your patience :)_

 _-Dusty_

* * *

 _ **RWBY: Strangers in a Strange Land**_

 _Chapter 10: The Alsius_

* * *

 **WILDERNESS OF VALE  
UNKNOWN WHITE FANG CAMP  
WOLF PACK  
CAPTAIN ACCALIA**

It'd been a long, slog of a march back to their base camp. Even with some light vehicles stolen from the Atlesians, some had to walk, allocating the vehicle space for the injured. The stalwart Captain insisted on leading the column on foot. She had not rested since fighting the huntsmen at the Canadian crash site. It was this said incident that kept her on her toes and extremely vexed. Even though the Atlesian patrol they dispatched shortly after was easy to eliminate, it still taxed the already fatigued unit. Arriving back at camp early in the afternoon, the foot soldiers took a brief break before returning to their duties and carrying the wounded to medical tents scattered about the camp.

"You look like you are going to pass out, sister. Don't tell me some Atlesian rogues that were out of practice have finally done you in." The arrogant wolf, Fenrir, taunted his sister.

Accalia removed her helmet, resting it under her arm and against her hip.

"Worry about your decimated unit before insulting me, little brother." Accalia shot back, a sharp venom in her tone.

The woman overturned her nearly depleted water container over her head, washing the blood and dirt from her silver hair and blood stained grey armour. She then individually massaged the wolf like ears atop her head that had been forced into awkward positions due to her helmet. The action brought only slight comfort.

Fenrir snarled and stood up to argue.

"Do _not_ test me, Fenrir. Not now." The Captain was usually patient, calm and collected. Most of her patience had been used up during their previous engagements.

Fenrir snarled in disagreement and collected his gear. "Very well, I'll go speak to Commander Taurus while you cool off."

"No. You stay. Make sure what's left of your unit has ammunition, food, and water. I will speak to Adam."

"He charged _me_ with the mission."

"Yes, and it was under _your_ leadership that a _child_ and his commander, Lieutenant Bryson were able to scar your prized family armour and kill _several_ of your men. To ensure you aren't decapitated by Wilt and Blush the moment you speak to him, I will go handle the backlash, little brother. Now you will do what you are told! Take inventory, take care of your men, _now_!"

Fenrir mumbled and stormed off, defeated, to perform his given task.

Accalia sighed, envying her brother's carelessness but at the same time pitying his tactical blindness. She tried to relax and maintain her patience. Her father warned her that she would have to deal with Fenrir's drastic behaviour, and normally she could.

Shaking her head, she made her way to the Cell's ranking officer's field tent; Adam Taurus. She hoped he was still present and had not left for Mistral yet.

"Commander Taurus." Back to her usual self, she was clear, and commanded an aura of authority by her voice alone. She announced her presence from outside, waiting for the Faunus revolutionary to respond and allow her entry.

"Accalia, it's been awhile since your last report. Enter."

Accalia pushed the curtain to the side, seeing the Commander hovering over an assortment of tactical documents, maps and other mission critical intelligence placed in a methodical madness on the large table in the center of the red tent.

"What happened out there?" The masked commander looked up, awaiting her response. If he was displeased, he hid it well.

The Captain placed her helmet on the table and ran her hand through her hair, scratching her scalp. "We made contact with the armed men at the crash site. They were the same ones our scout spotted in the village not too long before. The same group of Huntsmen from the village were with them."

"And Lieutenant Fenrir's men?"

"Mostly wiped out. We _severely_ underestimated them. A mistake I refuse to make again."

"A mistake your brother should be informing me of. A mistake that cost me several men." Adam pointed his finger at the woman. He stood up straight, walking around the table to face his subordinate.

"I have already dealt with Fenrir, Sir." Accalia assured sternly.

"Have you, Captain?" Adam approached the Captain, no longer hiding his discontent. "Or will your brother prove to be more trouble than he's worth?"

Accalia would never say it aloud, but in the back of her mind she found the man small and insignificant. Figuratively and literally. Being taller than him, and in her own opinion - better trained and more experienced.

The wolf hunched forward to meet his height. She stared him in the face with no fear or regard for his stature before giving her answer.

" _No_."

The two warriors briefly questioned the others gall and strength, but failed to act on any impulses.

After a few moments of tense silence, Taurus exhaled loudly, signalling his impatience.

"So then, tell me...Who are we dealing with, Captain." Adam began to pace while getting to the important matter. His hand began to instinctively take hold of the hilt of his prized weapon strapped to his hip before he continued to pry. "Who are they?"

Slightly jarred by the abrupt change of topic, Accalia cocked a brow and wasn't sure whether or not to chalk it up to a sense of fear regarding her or sudden urgency held by the Bull-Faunus.

"The Royal Canadian Regiment, that's what their Lieutenant called them." Accalia eyed up her belt, where a bloody piece of CADPAT fabric still stuck to her blade, even hours later.

"...I have never heard of them...Where are they from?" Adam spotted the fabric and removed it from his subordinates knife, inspecting the digital pattern and its green, black and brown colours.

"...I couldn't even hazard a guess. Their field officer claimed that they weren't 'from here' and were here only to look for their people, and for a way out. I've never seen their uniforms, their flag, their weapons...anything...it's all _new_...No auras either and they barely had any knowledge of their surroundings at all. Closest thing I can relate them to are children in a sandbox."

"A way out…" Taurus scratched his chin, pondering.

"Sir, another thing." Accalia raised a finger, interrupting Adam's moment of thought.

"What is it?"

"The huntsmen and huntresses that were with them both there and at the village...They were at Beacon at the time of the assault."

" _What?_ "

"I recognized them. During our withdrawal from the school grounds...The silver-eyed one was with them."

"If they are with the soldiers it's only a matter of time before they make their way to a larger settlement seeking aid...Maybe even Haven…" Adam froze for a few moments, obviously thinking of the worst case scenario. "You're dismissed, Captain. I have some messages to send."

Adam turned his back, signalling Accalia to leave. But she refused.

"Commander Taurus, I urge you; inform High Leader Khan of these soldiers and alocate me the resources to destroy them before they prove to be any more of a problem! If what you have told me in private about these Huntsmen is true, and our mission is time and intelligence sensitive, let _me_ deal with this!"

"That's enough, Accalia...You'll have your men, Captain. But, you let _me_ deal with High Leader Khan. We're in hot enough water regarding our unsanctioned assault on Beacon and our proposal to attack Haven academy in the coming months...let's not hang ourselves out to dry regarding these...Canadians."

"Understood." The Commander's response eased her clouded mind, bringing some relief. She took a deep breath after her response.

"Accalia."

"Yes, commander?"

"Not _one_ left standing, do you understand me? We cannot let them warn anyone of what's coming. We have the advantage with the CCT down, but that can't incite laziness. Get rid of them. Fast."

"...Yes sir." Accalia's response was delayed, riddled with hesitance.

"Is that a problem, Captain?"

"No, Commander...But I want _as many_ troops as you can spare."

Taurus tilted his head, seemingly unimpressed with the amount of troops the Vilkas siblings had cost him and continued to request.

"Is there something I should be concerned about regarding our new enemy? Something you haven't mentioned? Something that requires more good men and women to die?"

"A boy." Accalia did not hide her doubts. "Plus the Huntsmen and Huntresses. They alone warrant a hardy response."

"Excuse me?" Regarding the Huntsmen, Taurus could understand the need. But her first complaint, he could not. "Come again?"

"A boy, Sir. Or teenager, whatever the case me be, he managed to deplete my brother's aura and scar his armor." She sighed and rubbed her shoulder. "...As well as dodge several swings made by myself."

"An auraless _child_ managed to best your _brother_ in combat?"

"Yes. But...Something wasn't right about him. He saw our attacks coming, _dodging_ preemptively, _attacking_ preemptively like he knew what we were going to do. No one else on the battlefield did that."

"...What are you suggesting, Accalia?" Adam leaned over the table, fearing perhaps this boy had a similar ability to that of his trusted Captain.

"I don't know yet. I need more time to learn more about Carver. I can use my ability and learn anything we need."

" _Carver_. Is that his name?" He asked, disregarding the latter half of her suggestion.

"Yes, Sir. Private Jack Carver is what I heard."

"You don't need more time to _learn_ , Captain. You need to _kill_ him before he becomes any more of a problem, is that understood? Do _whatever_ you deem necessary, we cannot afford them getting in our way...You have my permission to wage _war_."

"Yes, Commander Taurus."

"Good. Now go, stop them dead in their tracks and get rid of them. Make your father and the rest of the White Fang proud."

The captain's fists tensed. Accalia retrieved her helmet from the table and placed it on over her head. Seconds later, the two distinct eye slits in her mask lit up a distinct red.

With a deep breath, Captain Accalia stepped out of the tent, drawing the attention of idle White Fang soldiers. She paused and observed the lowly grunts staring back. She knew most of them likely wouldn't be coming back from their next assignment, however, if the White Fang deemed their sacrifice necessary to stop the rise and rally of their new foe, she was willing to give a lot, even her own life if need be. Her brother returned, followed by a group of white fang soldiers carrying an ample supply of ammunition and water jugs.

"Disseminate the supplies and gather the Wolf Pack, Brother. We're leaving."

"The Pack? Haven't heard you call for them in a while...Where to now, Sister?"

"Gather the men, then I'll explain everything."

In time, a small army surrounded the Captain, all waiting eagerly for their next instructions. They spoke amongst themselves, whispering and chatting to one another about their own theories.

"Quiet!" Fenrir snapped.

With that, silence.

Accalia quietly counted their numbers to herself, giving up when she reached the dozens. Now estimating, their numbers were substantial, easily large enough to overrun an enemy company or more should they run into a group of that size.

"We have a new mission." She calmly started. "The objective is no longer to recon the unknown force that has been active in our area."

Accalia began to pace, taking note of the few survivors from their previous engagement with Carver and the other men. Alongside them were the heavily armored elite troops of the Wolf Pack, personally trained by herself and her brother. It was the closest thing to a special forces unit the organization had.

"...This unknown force, for those who don't know...Are not from Remnant."

Some of the newer soldiers immediately questioned this statement. It was absurd to those who hadn't seen the RCR in action.

"These humans are trained, experienced, deadly, and they have killed numerous of our brothers and sisters already."

Upon finishing her own statement, her eyes trailed to her brother. His armor, more specifically. She traced the fresh scarring on the grey plating. If that was what her enemy was capable of, she knew a massive portion of these soldiers were not coming back.

"Many of you, including myself, are looking for some revenge on these monsters...Let me ease your conscious. You _will_ get your revenge. Regardless of who they are, or where they are from, these humans have every intention to stop our plans and further subjugate the Faunus."

Several of the younger soldiers in the crowd shook their heads in disgust, seeing the truth of what their captain was saying and believing wholeheartedly in the villainy of their new foes.

"I for one, _refuse_ to let that go on."

Fenrir grinned under his helmet, eagerly anticipating his next engagement with the enemy.

"Our orders - our mission, our _destiny_ , is to close with and obliterate this new enemy before they have a chance to gain a stable foothold here in Remnant. They _cannot_ compromise us."

Whispers and pleased grunts emanated from the crowd.

"We will outnumber and outmaneuver this foe and fight them until they are all dead under our boots! You will show no hesitance, and no mercy! Because you are the best of the best that the White Fang has to offer!"

A few of the soldiers threw their arms in the air, getting equally as fired up as their commanders.

"Commander Taurus, the rest of the White Fang cells, and the entirety of the Faunus are watching, to that end we will stop at nothing to complete this mission! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Captain!"

"I said, _do I make myself clear_?!"

" _YES CAPTAIN VILKAS!_ "

" _MOUNT UP AND MAKE ME PROUD!_ "

With a loud cheer, the group dispersed to their respective groups and vehicles to prepare for their coming war with the Royal Canadian Regiment. Accalia watched them as they left with a sigh.

"Rousing speech, Sister." Fenrir mocked.

"Why do you continue in your poor attempts to anger me today, brother? What I have done that makes you so set on antagonizing me? Have I not provided for you?" The woman did not even look his way, seeing him as a mere temporary annoyance.

"I've been itching for a fight since we got back here, and forgive me if I don't see the point in rousing your expendable foot soldiers. They are beneath you."

"A motivated soldier, is a loyal soldier, brother." Accalia started on her path to the vehicles, joined by her brother. "And considering what we are about to ask them to do, loyalty is what we need. A lot of them are going to die if we come across the Huntsmen and Carver again. Especially if they are able to master their abilities."

"Since when do you care about what we do in the name of freedom for our people? Or about who dies on that path? It's all worth it…That's what father always belie-"

Accalia cut the man off, pressing her index finger sharply against Fenrir's chest plate. "Who said I did? I just understand the gravity of the situation. Learn to understand the bigger picture brother. Remember what I said about strategy versus tactics. We're going to need strategy to deal with Carver."

"That child won't get away next time. I assure you, Sister."

"You're right." Accalia nodded. "He won't."

Captain Accalia climbed atop one of the stolen Atlesian vehicles and slammed her fist against the hull, signalling the driver to roll out.

"Because I'm going to kill him _myself_."

* * *

 **TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA  
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO  
CARVER RESIDENCE  
PRIVATE JACK CARVER**

"Do you know where they're puttin' you?"

"Yeah, found out on Friday morning before we got dismissed for leave."

"Well? Tell me you're gonna be a Patricia like your old man!"

"Desmond, if he gets put into PPCLI we'll never see him! We don't have the money to make trips out West!"

"Catherine, our boy is a cowboy at heart, a roguish renegade! He isn't French enough to be a Van Doo, and I'll be damned if my son is gonna be a Royal. Let me tell you Cat, if anyone would ever shine barbed wire, keep their boots bloused _and_ boots polished, in the middle of a combat zone, it'd be the RCR."

Jack shrank into his seat.

"How bout it? Third battalion PPCLI? You gonna be a jumper?"

"You see, dad...uh...I hear that jumping out of planes is really bad for your knees. And all that rucking is bad for your back…" Jack twiddled his thumbs.

"Ah, I see, you're going Mechanized. Well, enjoy the ride while it lasts! Patricia's always end up walking one way or another."

"About that." Jack forced out a small chuckle.

Desmond raised a brow, fearing that his son was skirting around the question, trying to find an easy way to tell him something disappointing.

"...I've uh...actually been posted to first battalion...RCR. Bravo Company."

The young soldier tore off his no-hook rank patch that bore the general _Canada_ text in white lettering, and in its place, attached a fresh one-chevron patch bearing RCR upon his chest. He then reached into his pocket and placed his beret upon the table. The Infantry Corps' logo no longer stood out on the dark green beret. Rather, an eight-pointed diamond cut star; upon the star was a raised circle surmounted by the crown; within the raised circle, the block letters "VRI", the Imperial Cypher of Queen Victoria sat upon his beret. The soldier was now a member of the Royal Canadian Regiment.

"Well I'll be damned." Desmond smirked. He talked big about Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry due to pride in his service, but he always respected the Royals, no matter how much smack he spoke.

"Shame. I thought the army would recognize the name and make you a cowboy for sure. But what can you do." Major Carver shrugged and leaned across the table, patting his son on the shoulder.

Catherine Carver smiled, knowing Petawawa to be a bit of a trek. But at least it was in the same province.

"Thanks, that means a lot. I was kind of worried you'd be disappointed…"

"Jack, I'm your father, not a moron. I'd never be mad at you for a decision that wasn't yours to make. But, even if it was your decision, it'd be just that; _your_ decision. That's something no one can take away from you; choice." The experienced Soldier pointed at his son, speaking in his usual lesson-teaching manner. He was still an officer at heart.

"Even if it means pissing some people off?"

"Jack! Language!" His mother frowned.

"Sorry mom…Army habit." He cleared his throat and corrected himself accordingly. "Even it if _ticks_ some people off?"

"Yeah, even if it rubs people the wrong way. There'll come a time you're gonna be faced with a crappy scenario. I can tell you that with one hundred percent certainty. All the options are gonna seem bad, all the outcomes are gonna seem bad, but you'll still have a choice to make. No one can wrong you for making a choice."

"Hmph, you haven't met my course staff then…"

"I'm serious, kid. Course staff are jerks because they have to be. You have to be confident with any choice you make. That'll help you be a better soldier, remember that."

"Come on, Desmond, leave him alone. He's probably more concerned with playing xbox or watching TV right now while he's home. The last thing he wants to do is talk about work."

"Yeah, you're right." Jack's father nodded. "Go on, get some rest, we'll be down here if you need us."

Jack complied, retrieving his bag then retreating upstairs to the solace of his old room. His hand twisted the door handle and then lightly pushed the door in to avoid making noise and waking his brother in the adjacent room. Jack flicked the lightswitch, illuminating his abandoned room that he had not seen for months. Everything was as he left it.

The light gave life to the otherwise dead room, giving a clear display of every item and piece of furniture that had sat for months while the soldier was gone.

The slew of posters on the wall glistened from the burst of light, highlighting the multitude of interests; A green armour clad super soldier with the text "Halo" beneath was placed just beside a poster of Toronto Blue Jays number 11, Kevin Pillar, diving to catch a baseball in the rogers centre in downtown Toronto.

A Canadian flag hung from the wall, placed equally between a Gears of War poster and a Star Wars poster.

After inspecting the walls for any discrepancies, the newly trained soldier discarded the bag to the foot of the bed before undoing his tunic and condemning it to the chair sitting just in front of his desk which was covered in a plethora of books and a laptop.

"Jack?"

Private Carver nearly jumped out of his skin, surprised by the sudden interruption of silence.

He turned to face the origin, seeing a small figure dressed in Pokemon pajamas in the doorway, peering into the usually abandoned room.

"Alex? What are you doing up, I thought you'd be asleep."

Upon seeing it actually was Jack Carver, the young boy disregarded the question and sprinted in, wrapping his arms around the soldier.

Jack took a knee and returned the gesture, hugging his younger brother.

"I missed you, Jack!"

Private Carver felt a small pang of guilt for leaving, but was immediately self reassured by the importance of his job.

"I missed you too, buddy." Jack pat Alex's back.

"Are you home for good now?"

"Afraid not…" Jack regretfully informed. "Just finished training and their posting my to Petawawa. It's a bit of a drive but better than a flight."

"...oh…" The young boy looked down, knowing his hero would be leaving again shortly.

Another wave of guilt hit the soldier, who was also now staring at the carpet for some answer on how to make it all better.

"Let me tell you something, Alex."

The boy looked up to his CADPAT clad brother.

"I'll always be there for you. That's why I'm doing this. No matter where I go and no matter how ugly it gets, I'll always come and watch your back."

Alex Carver's sad expression turned to a half smile, cherishing the support of his hero.

" _I promise you that._ "

* * *

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE JACK CARVER**

Private Carver sat beneath a shady tree with his journal in hand, helmet off and canteen readily available. He stared blankly at a tree in the distance, completely unfocused about the world around him. He lightly shook his head.

 _Must've dozed off_...He thought to himself.

The remainder of the group were similarly positioned, waiting for the leaders recce to return with the plan of action. Or, at least what they'd be doing next. Jerome was with him, sitting shoulder to shoulder, equally as bored. Owens sat under the same tree, passed out and using a wet cloth to cover his eyes from the sun.

"Hey." Jerome started.

"Yeah?" Jack turned to face him, coming out of his trance.

"You ever wonder why we're here?"

"...Well, you see buddy...Trees have good shade, and you typically wanna stay outta the sun if it can be avoided. You could get burnt, or dehydrated."

"In Remnant, smart ass." Jerome swat Jack's shoulder with an eye roll and a chuckle.

"Only every single moment we're here." Jack added, humour with a tinge of discontent in his voice. His attention was drawn to sight of team RNJR mingling with the other troops. "It's not all bad though."

"Not all bad? You of all people should hate it here. How many Grimm or insane terrorists have tried killing you lately?"

"If we dropped Ruby into the middle of the Petawawa training area, do you think she'd find Canada to be a very nice place?"

"...Touché."

"We just gotta get outta here...Outta the woods, outta batshit crazy territory and then we can make some progress."

"What then?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, buddy."

"...What if there's a reason?" Jerome asked cryptically.

"Huh?"

"What if someone brought us here?"

Jack threw his hands in the air defensively, opting out.

"Whoa this got deep fast, I dunno man that question is waaaay above my head. I'd ask the Padre when we get back."

"No no not like that...think about it, Jack... _conveniently_ a portal to another world shows up Stargate style in the middle of nowhere, a place where civilians wouldn't panic, but close enough to get us involved? Then _conveniently_ we find a team of Huntsmen within two days who survived a terrorist attack at the hands of some shady people they nor we know anything about?"

"...What are you suggesting…?" Jack slowly turned his head, now disturbed by the path the conversation took.

"This is all a little too... _connected_...like something bigger is going on here."

Owens yawned, having woke up in the middle of their ongoing conversation. "Well, the White Fang is out there."

"I dunno, Corporal. If they had powers to make interplanetary or interdimensional _Stargates_ , or whatever the hell we traveled through, I feel like they wouldn't have struggled in that fight at the crash site, and I don't think we'd be here to talk about it...no, I think something else is going on…"

"Like what?" Owens asked with genuine curiosity.

Jack thought back to the forest, when some voice communicated with him. He still hadn't told anyone, and still hadn't decided if he was going to. They would think he was going crazy. Hell, he still believed partly that he imagined it. He did fall out of a helicopter and likely hit his head.

Still. It made him uncomfortable all the same. And it all did seem a little too connected.

Jack shivered and observed the trees, getting a feeling he was being watched.

It was quiet, for a moment, before Farren came marching down the hill. Jack thought he heard the officers yelling, but gave it no mind until he saw Hunters face. He looked like a three year old being interrogated by his parents for lying, though his consequences would be much more severe.

"Heads up." Setting his journal off to the side, Jack placed a firm grip on his rifle, backed by Owens and Jerome.

Farren pushed past Corporal Klinger to get at Hunter. Strangely, he didn't seem to resist, he didn't raise his hands or flinch when Farren got into his face. In what felt like a second, Hunter was on the ground with his left hand twisted around his back and Farrens knee keeping him down, digging into the small of his back. Bryson followed close behind, calling the Platoon to alert

"Two section, front and center!" Bryson called out shortly after.

The three soldiers looked briefly at one another before jogging over to the officer's position.

"I need the three of you and the rest of your section to get RNJR and meet us at the top of the hill, we've got a situation."

"Anything we should be concerned about, Sir?" Owens asked quietly

"We'll fill you all in when you get back, it's going to be a long day." Bryson stated, unamused as ever.

* * *

 **SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER  
** **VYTAL FESTIVAL - BATTLE OF BEACON  
** **ATLESIAN AIRSHIP ALSIUS**

The Alusis sailed through Vale airspace with little less then the hum of her engines filling the otherwise quiet ship. The bridge crew remained as silent as the grave, many huddled around a single monitor which played the only sound that seemed to mut the engines. They watched as their Flagship went up in flames; the robots built to defend Atlesian civilians, killing innocents mercilessly in the city below. The captain, an older man, stood alone watching the chaos and violence play out. The remains of the other two airships were close by.

"That's _Blue two_ sir, General Ironwoods ship." The comms officer turned in his chair to face the Captain.

Activity on his monitor soon retook his attention. Another explosion had rocked the flagships hull as it fell into the town below. The crew looked on in horror. Never did they think Atlas' might could be challenged, but as the last Airship crashed into the ground, so too did their morale.

"Were we able to raise any survivors from Blues three or Four?" The captain asked in a solemn tone.

"No sir, silence on all channels." The officer replied.

The captain let out a sigh, removing his hat as he walked back from the glass.

"Piggyback off of Beacon's CCT and inform command of what happened. Tell them-" the captain paused, he regretted even muttering the words "-Tell command that the Generals ship has been destroyed and he is presumably among the dead. Beacon Academy has fallen, we were too late. Full stop. The rest of you, back to your stations."

As the soldiers dispersed back to their stations, four men entered the bridge, armed and dressed in combat gear.

"Why haven't you deployed us yet sir? we've been waiting for the signal."

"Stand down Lieutenant. We're going home."

"Were not going to stay and help? We can still save…"

"There is nothing left to save." The captain turned to the helmsman, one of the few crew not concentrated at the monitor. "Helm, come about and set course for Atlas academy, before the Grimm make us."

"Aye sir."

Despite opposition, the massive airship banked right and back towards home.

"There's a city full of innocent people down there!"

Silence filled the room. The bridge crew were visibly torn, but continued to work. The captain, however, was vexed.

"Outside. Now."

The Captain stormed out of the bridge, with the Lieutenant following close behind.

"Questioning my orders, on my bridge, in-front of the entre senior crew. Even for you, Christian, that is unacceptable."

"Our weapons are murdering innocent civilians, Grimm are invading the city limits. Excuse me, sir, but turing tail and running is not what I signed up for. We have a duty to-"

"Stop. Just stop. We are going to try this again. This time, disabuse yourself of the notion that this is an argument between equals; One where I make an argument, you make a counter argument and we agree to disagree. This is my ship, and i've given my orders, I expect my XO to fall in line."

* * *

 **PRESENT TIME  
** **RCR OBSERVATION POINT  
** **PTE JACK CARVER**

Hunter was lead forcefully up the hill by Farren. His hands here zip tied and his torso was caked in dirt from being aggressively held to the ground. Dietz was still observing the ship and the plateau below as Jack, the remainder of 2 Section, and RNJR arrived behind Bryson. Farren had Hunter kneel down again and kept a tight grip on his prisoner.

After lying to their faces, he didn't know what to expect next.

For Jack, Jerome and even Owens, the situation was jarring. They all had trained to detain an enemy or even a civilian showing hostile intent, but seeing it in actual practice, with an actual person in an actual scenario was different than another soldier being used for a demonstration.

"You lied to us. You lied to _me_." Dietz crouched down to Hunters level. "What did you think was going to happen when you lead us here?"

Hunter kept eye contact to the ground, maintaining silence for some time before looking up, straight at the Captain.

"Would you have come if I told you everything?" His response was barely audible, like he was whispering.

"Well, I suppose we'll never know." Dietz stood back up and gathered his gear "Lieutenant Bryson, pack up shop. Were getting out of here before we're spotted. God only knows what's waiting for us down there..."

"Wait!" Hunter yelled out, now looking down at the ground again, still feeling guilty and ashamed. "Through omission I lied to you. I lied, and I lead you here in hopes of convincing you to help. The villagers are still in there. Innocent people whose only crime was wanting a free life outside the Kingdoms, only to be subjected again by these _thugs_! _You_ are their one and only hope, Captain! You and your men!"

The officers looked at one another before gathering everyone up to discuss their next move. Farren remained with Hunter, keeping his iron grip.

"Master Corporal?" Dietz said, still observing the Alsius below.

"Sir." Farren straightened up, still keeping a firm grip on Hunter's shoulder.

"Take our friend here back down to the LAV's, I want a man on him at all times. I'll get one of your men to relive you in a moment."

"Understood, Sir."

With that, Farren marched Hunter down the hill once again, followed by the remainder of his section to guard the detainee.

"What's our next move, Sir?" Bryson inquired, watching his men leave before glancing down at the Alsius, weary of any movement.

"Hunter is no longer a trustworthy source. Whoever claims ownership of that monstrosity down there has a side to this story that I now feel obligated to hear." Dietz crossed his arms.

"You don't think he's telling the truth?" Nora asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I think he was willing to say or do anything to lead us here. The last thing I'm going to do is take orders from someone who puts off their honour so easily."

"So…Then what do we do?" Ruby interejected. "We can't just sit here…"

"These guys are Atlas he said. Military types. What would they be doing here?" Bryson asked, not seeing the logic behind any mission out here.

Ren knelt down and picked up a stick, using it to draw a rough sketch of the area in the dirt. "Their presence is obviously tied to the state of their ship. Crashing here can't have been their plan. I suspect they ran into issues while heading North, back to Atlas."

"Question is, what kind of issues." Jaune added, crossing his arms before taking a long gaze at the decimated crash site.

Dietz turned away, looking back down at the Alsius. "My question exactly."

* * *

 **SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER  
** **HUNTER**

The crash was a spectacular sight to behold. With gravity pulling the skyborn behemoth back to ground, it was going faster than it ever could on it's own. Fire and explosions could be seen as it cleared the the small town by only a few kilometers. Flaming debris fell all around, lighting the night sky as people ran into their homes while some brave residents watched from cover. As it cleared the towns immediate skyline, Hunter took off into the words after the ship, dodging branches and trees as he did. In what seemed like only minutes, Hunter came to the edge of a hill, looking down onto the plateau as the ship hovered only a few feet above. The ship was correcting itself, turning, yet still falling at now a slower pace.

"Let's have a little look-see..." Hunter mumbled to himself, getting into a better position.

His eyesight was better in the dark, he was just able to make out the crash site. Isolated fires lit the surrounding areas as the rear wings made contact on the earth, Hunters eyes were brought to the front of the ship. A man fell from the ship's bridge, hitting the ground with the ship not far behind. Hunter was too far to tell if the man survived, or if he was a man at all. Gunfire soon followed, isolated shots echoed across the Plateau. Whoever survived the crash, didn't intend on surviving together.

* * *

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE JACK CARVER**

Jack strutted up the ramp of the LAV and stopped at the door, taking a look inside. Only Sam and Hunter were inside, each on opposite sides of the compartment. Hunter had his eyes shut, likely sleeping while Sam had his feet kicked up, using the back wall as support. The only source of entertainment the soldier had was a tennis ball that he kept in his vest for such boring occasions. He bounced the ball against the steel floor until it rebounded off the wall and back into his hand.

"You look comfortable." Jack pointed out.

"Not much to do. Sleeping beauty's over there's been out cold since I relieved Jerome. Speaking of which-"

"Yeah, you're relieved. Go get something to eat." Jack pointed with his thumb to the rear, highlighting the admin area where the rations were being handed out.

Sam jumped out of his seat and zipped by Jack like a rabbit in a matter of seconds. Despite the noise, Hunter still slept. Jack let out a brief sigh before moving towards Owens' seat, resting his rifle in the corner between the back and left wall, near the troop hatch. With a moment of quiet, he took out his rations and his notepad and flipped to a new page with a bored sigh.

 _Carver Journal Entry 5_

 _I have no idea what is going on. Not that I have an intricate understanding of events most of the time, but the last few days have been a whirlwind. First we came looking for people, then we find the people have left. Next I get taken hostage by a local and then the officers sit down and talk to him._ _Big surprise_ _that he lied to us. Not that I can really blame the officers, this place has taken its toll on all of us. I can see it in the officers. They hide their feelings well, keeping a sense of normalcy and all, but they know as well as we do that things are really messed up. Bryson especially, The White Fang dented his pride, you can tell he's looking to settle the score. I'd be lying to myself if I wasn't in the same boat. Those two White Fang commanders haven't really left my thoughts since we met them. Even with RNJR on our side, I don't know how we're gonn-_

"What are you writing?"

Hunter, the origin of the abrupt voice, stopped the moment he noticed the swift movement of Jack's hand drawing his Browning HI-Power from it's holster, pointing the weapon directly at him. The action was fast and natural, the Soldier was not even looking at him by the time the weapon was aimed and ready.

"That's close enough." Jack shut his journal, placing it off to the side to pay full attention to the ensuing conversation.

He tipped the barrel, pointing it at the seat that Hunter had left, beckoning him to sit again.

"Go on." Jack brandished the barrel again, using it as a tool of persuasion to get his way.

"I wasn't going to try anything." Hunter slowly raised his hands and returned to his seat where he had been resting.

"You'll forgive me for taking precautions this time." Jack pointed to the healing cut on his neck with his free hand.

"How long do you Canadians hold grudges?" Hunter pointed to the Browning with a cocked brow.

"Most of us? Not long. _This_? This is a special circumstance." Jack holstered his pistol again and attempted to regain his positioning before being interrupted. He gave the man a look that let him know he wasn't afraid to shoot him if he tried something.

"Look, I'm sorry, but can you really blame me though? I thought you were Atlas. I'm sure you would've acted in a similar way."

"I don't know if I would!" Jack shrugged, looking confused. "Who knows!? Man, I'm out here questioning the whole idea of _being_ here! Simply speaking to you is a feat that I can't even fathom, I'm _freakin'_ out! So I'm not inclined to ask myself those kind of questions, okay? Cool. Good talk Coyote boy."

Hunter tilted his head, perplexed by the soldier's odd behaviour. "...Maybe we got off on the wrong foot."

"We didn't get off on a foot at all, actually; we got off on a knife to my throat." A smug look formed on the soldier's face, like that _fact_ was what gave him the upper hand, not the pistol or overwhelming numbers.

Hunter twitched, almost completely in shock that such a character existed. He tried to figure out what was wrong with the kid in his head, but could not quite place it.

"Right, well...I'm Hunter."

"Yeah, yeah, I know your name." Jack gestured to the zipties still around the man's wrists. "Been hearing it a lot lately."

"And you are, Jack, if I heard right?"

"Yeah. My buddies call me Jack. Higher ups and dudes who put knives to my throat call me Private Carver."

"Come on, kid, I said I was sorry, damn!"

"You want me to forgive you?" Jack scoffed.

"Yeah, I feel like that'd be a good first step to repairing the relationship! I mean I had you at knife point, and you shot me, so we're equal! Right? So why don't we go from there?"

"Oh I'm sorry, I just thought the three unconscious guys in CADPAT fell asleep and I tripped while holding my gun, firing off a round on accident, my bad man! I didn't mean it, really!" Jack threw his hands in the air sarcastically, only pissing Hunter off more.

"Sarcasm won't help." Hunter crossed his arms, losing patience.

"Neither does lying to us, genius. You're the last one who can tell me what can and can't help!"

"Look, Carver...I said what I _needed_ to in order to get you out here."

"Hey man, I've heard your story before and after the lie, I'm not the one you've gotta convince." Jack shrugged. "If there really are people being held down there against their will like you say, I'd have us march down there and negotiate for their release, but I'm not the one in charge."

"Then help me convince your commanders! You said it yourself during that meeting earlier, you want to help, help me do it! You and I are on the same side here!"

"Yeah, back home we like to call that insubordination! I've been told to guard you, not plan how to undermine a superior's orders!" Jack reluctantly blurted the response out, only out of fear of Farren's retribution that would come if he spoke out again.

"So you're gonna condemn those people because you're scared of getting yelled at by some soldiers? How do you think the Huntsmen are gonna take it once they realize that you're delaying their mission _and_ leaving people behind? What's her name...Ruby? Bet she'll think the absolute _world_ of a coward…"

"...You call me a coward again, and I _will_ knock your ass seven ways to sunday, tough guy…" Jack pat his holster, talking through grit teeth.

"Alright, kid." Hunter shrugged. "Just thought you'd be the one to help after what RNJR told me about you, especially after I heard that it was you who fought Fenrir." The Faunus readjusted in his seat, getting comfortable before closing his eyes again.

The two sat in silence while Jack thought to himself.

He sighed - angrily.

"...Low blow, bro…God you _suck_." Jack sighed, running a palm through his hair and tightly gripping a chunk of his locks by his scalp. "Alright...fine, fine, fine."

"That was easy." Hunter opened his eyes and his lips curved into a grin, almost not believing his plan had worked.

"Shut up, I need the approval of others-"

"Classy. Real heroic too."

"-and I wanna help people, Jesus dude, you gotta let me finish my sentences or this little forgive and forget session ain't gonna go that far."

"Very well, I apologise for that too."

"There, you're sounding like a Canadian already." Jack mocked.

"...Sure." Hunter shrugged, unaware of the stereotype.

"Okay, we're gonna need a plan. I'm not gonna be the one throwing this up to Farren... _Both_ of us will be screwed if I try that. I'm gonna have to try and convince Corporal Owens to help us out and then he can bring it up to the section commander." The Private hunkered down and got right to planning, running multiple scenarios through his head.

"Do you think he'll listen?" Hunter stood up again slowly, Jack noticed a smile growing on his face. Either because he saw hope or another way to screw them. Jack favoured the former.

"...uhh...I don't see why not…?" Jack shrugged, not displaying a whole lot of confidence with his answer.

"You hesitated! Why did you hesitate?" Hunter pointed at the young man, losing some already thin faith in the soldier.

"Listen, _Hawkeye_ , all I'm sayin' is, it better be a _good_ plan. Marching down there with some C7's and your cute little bow may sound really badass, but I plan on getting home alive so we're not going that route."

"Well...You have the vehicles." Hunter pointed upward, pointing out the armoured chasis of the LAV III.

""Your point? I don't think 'blow them up' is an immediate option in this case. Shoot first, ask questions later, isn't that how we roll Robin Hood. We've barely been here for that long - let's try a solution that doesn't involve both sides getting blown the hell up!"

"Yes, but you have vehicles, and they don't know you're here, or how much equipment you have."

"And?" To Jack, it sounded like a repeat of what he had _just_ said. "Get to the point."

"Leave your vehicles and a defensive element behind while you and I take a vehicle with a team, probably your squad and RNJR, and approach the Alsius head on and force a delegation."

"You're _insane_." Jack laughed. He _Laughed at the man._

"What?" Hunter asked impatiently.

Now Jack stood up to meet Hunter, not able to believe what he was hearing "Your idea is literally the one I said _NOT_ to do, except with a LAV III. The armor may look tough, but against an army? Yeah that ain't gonna last long, Katniss Everdeen!"

"Just listen, kid. Your advantage is that they don't know you. They won't know if you're lying about your numbers if just a single vehicle goes down there."

"...Okay I see what you're saying, but what good does one LAV do for us?"

"Your Captain wants proof? That's how we'll get it. We'll go down there with an armoured vehicle, get your proof about them holding those people hostage, and then we'll act accordingly."

" _Act accordingly?_ So...Our plan is to infiltrate the ship like CSOR operators, and just walk around _real quiet_ like, take a couple pictures and walk out, with a towns worth of people and call it a day?"

"Not necessarily, since your chain of com-...you were being sarcastic weren't you?"

"Yes. Yes I was." Carver nodded.

"Ugh...Listen, we'll take an officer or one of your junior leaders that can vouch the information to your commanders, then we'll go from there."

"What if they decide to just blow us up?"

"Well, that's another benefit of having just one vehicle. It's just one."

"Great. So they'll just kill us, and not the whole platoon."

"If it's that bad, you come up with an idea!"

"I'm a Private, that's not my domain. Listen, I think it could work, I just don't see leadership signin' off on it."

"Okay then what do we do?"

"...We're gonna need backup." Jack stroked his chin, thinking hard.

"I thought you said marching down there wasn't a good idea?"

"It isn't. Risking open combat with a technologically superior army, regardless of how rogue, is a really shitty plan...But at least if things go south, we'll have reinforcements to try and fight back. There are another two companies still sittin' on the beach guarding the Brock. If we can get even one of them to augment that defensive element you were on about, we'll at least stand a chance if this gets ugly. Two companies and some LAVs versus whatever they've got. Not ideal, but…"

"Fine. Is that everything?"

"It's as good as it's gonna get from a Private and a detainee chatting in the back of a LAV."

"Very well, are you gonna go tell Owens?"

Jack didn't answer and looked at the ground, having some second thoughts.

"Come on...You _owe me_. You said you were gonna tell me how to kill Fenrir. You still haven't. At least do this for me."

Jack visibly recoiled at the mention of Fenrir.

"Why do you hate that guy so much anyways…?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now...Just...get us that support…"

"Fine. I'll run the plan by them." Jack stood up abruptly and went to exit the LAV but stopped himself. "Uhh...one sec."

Jack looked around before shouting.

 _HEY! HEY, JEROME!_ " Jack shouted to his friend, who stayed under the nearby shady tree.

"Yeah?" Jerome looked up like a meerkat.

"Get over here!"

"Okay!" The young man swiftly got to his feet.

Moments later, Jerome trotted over to the LAV.

"What's up, man?"

"Can you watch him for a sec? Gotta take a leak."

"What? Still don't trust me?" Hunter quipped from the interior of the vehicle.

The soldier looked over his shoulder, wearing a plain expression before nodding rapidly. "Yeah, exactly."

Jerome ignored the warrior and paid attention to Jack's request. "Sure buddy, make it quick though, no going to hide behind a LAV to write in your diary, okay?"

"...Come on man it's a _journal_ …" Jack looked down and rubbed his bicep shyly.

"Whatever, Princess! Go on!"

"This is an abusive relationship, Jerome!" Jack looked over his shoulder while walking away in search of Owens.

"Then why don't you just leave! I'll leave your shit on the curb! You'll still come back!" Jerome quipped.

With his comrade gone, Jerome took a seat in the LAV. Hunter retreated to his original spot, opting to be quiet with this soldier instead.

"...Soooo…" Jerome started, fiddling with his hands.

Hunter looked over to him, looking rather disinterested.

"Are there any...women in the village?"

"Shut up."

* * *

 **FIVE MINUTES LATER  
TEMPORARY COMMAND POST**

Jack made his way through the concealed temporary command post, being wary of any troops that may know that he was supposed to be on shift. He spotted two Section's 2IC amongst team RNJR and a handful of the command team, including Captain Dietz himself. The young soldier eased himself toward the Corporal, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, as difficult as it was.

"Hey...Owens…" Jack whispered, trying to get his attention.

"One sec, Jack, I'm chatting with Ren." Owens dismissed him and turned to face Ren again. "So...They're animals, that are like people? They can talk and stuff?"

"Not quite. Think of a regular human, like you or myself. Then, apply certain animal traits; be it in appearance or in function."

"Appearance or in Function? Is there a distinction? I'm a grunt man, you gotta break it down Barney style for me. Do they have a natural advantage?"

"You could argue that, yes. It depends on the traits, really. Some may have a tactical advantage, like you said, others may just come off as...gimmicks, you could say."

"So those White Fang soldiers we faced...It's safe to say they have wolf like traits? Speed, smell and enhanced sight?"

"One could wager that, yes. Or, they're simply incredibly skilled and have the defensive boosts in the form of Auras."

"Which means they likely have semblances to back it up, right?"

"Very likely. It just seems our enemy has chosen not to reveal it yet."

"Well, looks like we've got our work cut out for us. Thanks for the info, Ren."

"Of course, Corporal Owens." Ren nodded and returned to his team, discussing the next move with Captain Dietz.

The Corporal then turned to face Private Carver, looking a tad unimpressed.

"It's only been like ten minutes, don't tell me you're looking to trade shifts after you just relieved me, kid."

"No, don't worry I've got someone on em', I just need to talk to you."

Sam raised a brow. "About what?"

"Hunter and I have a plan on how to get down there!" Jack's voice was just barely a whisper, almost too excited to hide it.

"You _what_!?"

The Corporal's raised voice earned a few glances from the Officers. Dietz raised an eyebrow and locked eyes with Owens inquisitively, waiting for some non-verbal signal.

" _Sshsshssh_...Relaaax…" Jack lifted his hands in the air and rapidly lowered them, giving him the gesture to quiet down.

"We were told to _watch_ him, not chat about how to siege an Atlesian _battleship_ , Jack! Do you know how much trouble you'd be in if Farren found out?"

"I know, I know. But Farren _isn't_ going to find out." Jack nudged Sam's shoulder expectantly.

"No." Sam crossed his arms, appearing dead set with his answer.

"Come on, you haven't even heard the plan yet!"

"No!"

"Sam, we're stuck out here doing nothing, we gotta get some help out here, and those people are the first step we need to start making some real progress!"

"I don't know, Jack. You're asking a lot of me."

"I know that too. But hey, what happened to having faith in me? Would I really send you off with a plan I didn't think was gonna work?"

"I kind of think you would…" Sam dragged a palm down his face with an exhausted grunt.

He muttered something to himself before gesturing Jack to continue.

"Ugh...alright, let's hear it. I swear to god if it is literally just walking down there I'll just kill us both to spare us and the Atlesian's the trouble." Owens pat the Browning strapped to his hip.

"No! Come on, what do I look like?" Jack threw his arms up in defense, half expecting an answer. "Don't answer that."

"Out with it, Jack."

"We _drive_ down there!"

"Astonishing." Owens muttered.

"For real, hear me out!"

"Go on then."

"If we go down with a LAV, just one LAV. packing some heat, we don't give away how many of us there are and if shit goes sideways - it's just one LAV."

"Oh it's just one LAV. Y'know Jack, armoured vehicles are pretty expensive, and so is the insurance that the Canadian Military will have to pay our families when we get blown the hell up!"

"Fine, then stay here! I'll go down there, try my hand at some high grade, _elite_ negotiations, get some civvies outta there and walk out like a badass all on my own."

"... _Good God I hate my job_...Jack you know I can't let you do that alone."

"Great! So you're coming?"

"...I hate you, Carver."

* * *

 **SEVERAL MINUTES LATER  
TEMPORARY COMMAND POST  
** **LAV III**

Jack made his way back to the LAV, hands in his pockets and a cocky grin plastered on his face.

"That was the longest piss break...ever." Jerome crossed his arms.

"Yeah I drank too much water, you're good to go man, thanks for covering me."

"You owe me!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, get going."

Jack took a seat in the LAV, kicking his feet up and placing his arms behind his head in a relaxed posture. Hunter waited patiently for the update, which didn't come.

"...Well?"

"Well, I told Sam, he's passing it up."

"That's it?"

"What did you want me to do? Creep from the bushes? My bathroom break couldn't last forever you know."

"Ugh…"

"Oh there is one thing!"

"What?"

"Sam said if my plan works, he'll quit smoking entirely."

" _Your_ plan?" Hunter cocked an eyebrow.

"Our plan, whatever." Jack waved him off.

"...How did someone like you ever get even remotely close at standing a chance against Fenrir?" Hunter sighed and returned to his seat, faith plummeting in the plan as he did.

"Y'know, I've been asking myself that question often. Then I remember." Jack let out a small chuckle.

"Remember what?"

" _Bullets_ are a lot more effective than _bows and arrows_ , buddy."

"Sure, next time you see him, take him on without the girl's or her team's help."

"I'm cocky, not suicidal...moron."

After a moment of silence, Sam could be seen coming through the trees towards the LAV parking space. Jack stood up and met the man halfway, grabbing his rifle on his way down the ramp.

"Well? What did they think?"

Hunter stood up and came to the entrance of the troop carrier, listening in.

Sam stayed quiet, staring blankly at Carver.

"Come on, man!"

Owens slowly reached into the shoulder pocket of his combat shirt and retrieved his pack of smokes. Jack half expected him to eject a cigarette from the pack and attempt to light it. However, the Corporal dropped the packet into the dirt and crushed it under his boot.

" _No way!_ " Jack grinned and looked over his shoulder to Hunter, who looked equally as shocked.

"Briefing in twenty at the CP. Bring Hunter."

"You got it!"

"Hmph. Yeah, let's just hope it works." Sam shook his head and walked away.

* * *

 **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK  
** **OFFICERS WARDROOM  
** **LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER KENDALL**

Kendall threw open the wardroom door, keeping it open for Reid who followed close behind. What few officers sat around the table stood up upon seeing the XO

"Don't stand up." Kendall closed the door behind Reid and came around the table. "Lets just get this over with."

The group was smaller than the last meeting held. Scotty, Reid and McDowell were the only officers present. Kendall approached the head of the table, tossing his XO hat onto his spot. It hit him that he was sitting in Dietz's spot, it didn't feel quite right.

"Bravo Company went ashore almost ten hours ago. Where are we?" Kendall interlocked his fingers, pulling closer to the table.

"No contacts sighted on the beachhead or in the immediate area surrounding the ship. My men have a strong presence established. Nothing's getting through." Reid responded promptly

"Good. Mcdowell?"

"All birds are fueled and locked up. Ready and waiting below decks, Sir."

"All good news. Lets get underway and link up with the ground team on the far side of the island. I want the area in the range of the Five-inch. How does ahead ⅓ sound to you Scotty? The Chief Engineer didn't make eye contact at first, he stared intently at a chip in the table. "Scotty, how does ⅓ sound to you." Again, no response. "If the engines can't handle ⅓ then-"

"Ahead ⅓ is acceptable to me sir, if you had engines to do it."

The room turned towards Scotty, who was still staring down the chip. KendalL leaned back disapprovingly in his chair, clearing his throat.

"What?"

"The problem was not with the units themselves, it was the pipes carrying the steam from the reactor. We were so caught up in overworking the engines, we never considered the PSI in the tubes. We disconnected the engines from the reactor about an hour ago for maintenance."

"We hit an EMP getting here. We had to salvage a navy ship to kickstart those engines. And now you've taken them offline again."

"I understand the sacrifices made sir but-"

"What will all this look like?" Reid interjected.

Scotty let out a brief sigh, turing his chair to face the officer.

"The reactor will continue to power the rest of the ship, we've siphoned off the water from the cooling tanks for the men while we make repairs. We'll need an hour tops, then a little longer to cycle power."

Reid looked back to Kendall, still staring down Scotty at the other end. The commander was furrowing his brow, thinking of their next move

"An hour Scotty, not a second more."

"Understood Capt- I mean Commander. We're on it."

* * *

 **1ST BATTALION, ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT  
BRAVO COMPANY  
1ST PLATOON  
** **2 SECTION  
** **PTE JACK CARVER**

Jack accompanied RNJR and their still somewhat reluctant detainee, Hunter, to the designated meeting spot within the temporary command post. It was here that the hasty plan would be presented in greater detail and a concept of operation and scheme of maneuver was to be formed.

"You okay?" Jaune asked Jack, who had been uncharacteristically quiet.

"...Ever feel like you made a choice that was way above your head? Or just overall made a wrong call?" Jack ignored the question, and instead asked his own. He looked to the Huntsman for guidance.

Both were young and relatively inexperienced and yet they sought guidance from one another like they were full blown Huntsmen and Soldiers.

"Every single day..." Jaune responded. "Why?"

"Well, I keep thinking back to the village we were at a couple days ago, when you and I were on watch and we got shot at. I got yelled at for making that call...and now...well, let's just say I'm not so confident in a recent decision I've made…"

"I constantly think about what I could have possibly done to stop Pyrrha from fighting alone...What I could've done to stop her from…"

Jack could guess what the rest of the sentence was when Jaune fell silent.

"Ruby is a much better leader than I ever was...She has this way of making decisions, good or bad, and living with them. She always says any decision is better than no decision, agree or _not_."

"You don't agree?"

"Never said I didn't agree...I just refuse to be the one calling the shots from now on…It's for the best."

"Cut yourself some slack, man."

"You first."

Jack exhaled, seeing how Jaune turned the conversation on him, making his point more clear.

Jack and Hunter had made this plan to break the stagnancy in their mission. He just wasn't comfortable having it disguised as Sam's plan or people dying as a result. Earlier Jack had told Farren he could live with people dying for the greater overall good, but the closer they got to the potential threat of death of his brothers in arms, it dawned on him that he wasn't ready to be a leader yet.

Ruby looked over her shoulder with a somber expression. She heard every word.

The rest of the walk was silent.

Carver raised an eyebrow at the hefty presence before the meeting even began. Along with Captain Dietz himself, Bravo company's commander, Major Dawson, was of course present as the village search had been a Bravo company task. All three of his rifle platoon commanders including Lieutenant Bryson were also there along with their Section leadership.

Even Alpha company, more commonly referred to as Duke's Company after the Duke of Edinburgh, had it's commander, Major Clark present. He had opted to leave his Platoon leadership back for protection.

Such an amalgamation of high level leadership presented a hefty target...It made Jack uneasy. Not just because he did not really belong as a Private, but such leadership bunched together didn't always end well.

It disturbed the soldier just how easily Fenrir could tear through security and kill them all. Or Accalia, for that matter.

"There's the man of the hour." Major Dawson cleared his throat and gestured towards the arriving group, Hunter in particular.. "He give you any trouble, Private?"

"No, Sir." Jack answered immediately. "...Just a little talkative is all."

Hunter raised a brow and glanced back at Jack, unamused.

"Good to hear, Son." The Major turned his attention to the team of Huntsmen and Huntresses. "RNJR, always a pleasure. Please, sit."

The four complied, taking seats on a downed log placed around a Recce sketch of the area.

Jack stood guard on the perimeter, choosing not to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

"Private Carver." Captain Dietz spoke up.

"Sir." Jack spun on his heel to respond.

"I would prefer if you were involved in the planning."

"...Me, Sir?"

Major Dawson and Major Clark looked at each other, slightly confused. Normally they would object, but considering the circumstances and Dietz' absolute authority, they chose not to. They would discuss it with Colonel Reid in detail later.

"Yes, so far you seem to have the most experience during our time here, seems fit to me to keep that going."

"If you say so, Sir." Jack quickly and nervously scuttled his way over to Lieutenant Bryson and Master Corporal Farren, who had been watching him make his way over.

Farren leaned in, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Only speak when spoken to here, Kid. These aren't the guys to mess with."

"Understood, boss."

Some minutes passed while the group waited for stragglers and proper security to be set before beginning.

Captain Dietz observed the group, satisfied with the turnout.

"Alright." He stood up. "Suppose we should be begin. You've all been briefed on the situation as it was told to us by our gracious guest, Hunter."

Every section commander and Platoon officer withdrew their notepads from their vests, preparing to jot down important tactical information about the coming operation.

"However, Major Dawson was not satisfied, rightfully. A Recce team led by Warrant Gage surveyed the area, confirming a civilian presence being held against their will."

The Warrant and Private Carver locked eyes. It was the first time they saw each other since the crash. Gage nodded, taking the young soldier by surprise. Hastily and awkwardly, the soldier nodded back.

"Seems like our friend here was telling the truth all along, Lieutenant." Dietz looked over to Bryson, who was already observing Hunter with confusion.

"Seems that way, Sir…"

Dietz chuckled at the colossal waste of time Hunter's detention had been.

"Major Dawson, care to run through the plan?"

"With pleasure, Sir."

The Major stood up and grabbed a thin stick to point at the map model made by the Recce troops.

"Lieutenant Bryson, as per Corporal Owens' suggestion, I will be employing Two Section from First Platoon as well as our new friend Hunter for phase one. A single LAV will approach the Alsius while assault elements begin to take position in the surrounding woods. If we can't outnumber them, we can out maneuver them. Now that we have positive ID of civilians in the area, we can simply begin negotiations with only risking a single vehicle."

Jack raised a brow. The Major jumped to a possible assault relatively quickly.

"Miss Rose, with your permission I would also like to employ your team during this phase...It is dangerous, but I figured having Huntsmen broker a release may be more productive than Soldiers with guns pointed at them…"

"With respect Major, we'd be going down there either way." Jaune spoke out of turn.

No one expected to keep them out of the fray for long.

"Sure thing, Major. We'll head down there ourselves." Ruby spoke up, trying to seem as diplomatic as a young girl could.

"Much appreciated." Dawson nodded. "Speaking with Captain Dietz, we both agree that we need as many allies as we can get out here. If we can peacefully negotiate the release of the villagers as well as secure an alliance with the Atlesian rogues - then we'll have made a significant stride. However, if they show hostile intent to us, all bets are off and we go in and take the position with the intent of rescuing the hostages. Questions to me."

A single hand raised. Farren's.

"Master Corporal, go ahead."

"Sir, what if they enact ill intent on civilians in our presence...but not on us?"

Dawson looked over his shoulder, looking at Captain Dietz. "Rules of engagement, Sir?"

"Self-defence of you, your men…. _and non-combatants._ "

Farren nodded. "Understood, Sir."

A shiver went down Jack's spine. They were just cleared to engage if any civilians were harmed...such rules of engagement were a rarity in complicated scenarios. For the more experienced in the Regiment, it was a breath of fresh air.

"Listen up, everyone...Despite recce elements observing the site for hours, we cannot determine the amount of possible hostiles in the area...This is going to be a shot in the dark...We're not positive on what we'll find inside, so stay sharp. Hunter, once this is over, you'll be free to go, I appreciate your cooperation during this confusing event."

Hunter stayed silent and offered a nod of understanding.

"They're trained and well equipped." Ren spoke up. "They will surely be lacking some discipline...but they're still soldiers, Major. Expect a sturdy resistance should this go sour."

"Fine then. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that. Any questions?"

The group was silent.

"Alright, let's get on with it. Platoon commanders, get your men ready and on standby, ready to move in less than thirty. Move out."

* * *

 **25 MINUTES LATER  
RCR TEMPORARY COMMAND POST  
PTE JACK CARVER**

"You were oddly quiet back there." Jack said to Hunter, who sat silently once his kit had been given back to him.

Hunter counted the amount of arrows he had, each primed with a different dust-infused tip for a unique result in the battlespace.

"Wasn't much for me to say. You lot already had your plan set."

Jack scoffed then whispered. " _Our_ plan, remember?"

Hunter shook his head while counting. "Whatever you want to call it."

"They're gonna be fine, man." Jack counted the magazines loaded into his vest before looking up at Hunter again. "We'll get them out."

"Yeah." Hunter stood up. "I'm just tired of people I care about dying because the forces of this world can't mind their own damn business." The Coyote Faunus made his way over to their assigned LAV for the mission. "So excuse me if I see a tad skeptical, _Private Carver_."

Jack stayed silent and thought for a few moments, analyzing what the man had said. A few thoughts raced through the young soldier's mind about their previous conversation in the LAV. It all made sense now.

"He killed them. Didn't he? People you cared about? Family?

Hunter stopped in his tracks, but kept looking forward.

"...That's why you want to kill him so bad, isn't it?"

Jack could see the Faunus' fists tighten. If he didn't know any better, he would've guessed Hunter would punch him for prying so much. It was a vice for Jack that he couldn't help...He was rather awkward.

"...That's why you're gonna help me _kill the bastard_ …"

He stormed off into the LAV, leaving it at that.

Jack sighed and looked for his helmet, the last thing he needed before they moved out.

"Jack!" Ruby called out from within the LAV.

He looked up, seeing the girl wearing his Cadpat covered Kevlar helmet. He flashed a small grin and began to head for the LAV. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a bird cawing at him.

His head snapped to investigate, seeing a Crow sitting in the trees watching him and the LAV. The soldier froze, seeing this bird yet again. He now knew it was no coincidence.

"... _What do you want_ …?"

As if the animal heard him, the bird flew away, heading towards the Alsius' general direction.

"Coming, bro?" Jerome pat Jack on the shoulder before finding his chair in the vehicle.

Jack grunted and boarded the LAV, knowing inside that it wouldn't be the last time he'd see their stalker.

The hatch closed behind him.

* * *

 **10 MINUTES LATER  
EN ROUTE TO ALSIUS**

" _Everytime that I look in the mirror...All these lines on my face gettin' clearer...The past is gone. It went by like, dusk to dawn, isn't that way, everybody's got their dues in life to pay."_

The stereo system blared a familiar tune while the single LAV III rocked and rolled across the expansive valley.

Private Carver swayed back and forth with the vehicle as they got closer to the Alsius. He was no stranger to the somewhat violent ride one would get while in the vehicles, but his experience hardly put him at ease, Jack could feel them getting closer and closer. That was normally a good sign that they hadn't been blown into the sky- yet.

Still, their closing proximity to the Atlesian warship was not a comfort. It was a terror, in fact. There was no way to know how the Atlesians would react. Regardless of his lingering fear that he attempted to suppress by rapidly tapping his foot against the steel floor, Jack was just semi-happy to be on the move.

Jack and Hunter briefly locked eyes from opposite ends of the armoured vehicle. Between the both of them, Jack was surprised the LAV hadn't been pursued by some Grimm with the negative storm the duo was stirring up in their own heads.

"Ugh...I think I'm gonna be sick…" Jaune hunched over, looking pale.

"You alright?" Jerome put a hand on the Huntsman's shoulder, though slightly scooted off to the side to avoid any unforeseen bombardment emitting from Jaune.

"Vomit Boy doesn't take too well to bumpy rides." Ruby snickered.

"Motion sickness is a more common problem than people let on! I've told you this before!" Jaune defended himself but abruptly put a hand over his mouth with a groan.

"Many...Many... _Many_ times…" Nora groaned.

"Just hang on a little longer." Master Corporal Farren started, climbing down from the command hatch. "We're almost there, I can make out a few of them scurrying around the compound."

"Do you think they've seen us yet?" Nora asked.

"Definitely. And considering we aren't dead yet, they're probably gonna come out and talk."

"Nothin's stopping em' from just gunning us down the moment we step out, keep your guards up." Sam stood up, cocking his C9, just in case.

"This was your idea, remember?" Farren heard the action being worked on the machine gun and glanced over his shoulder.

"Right." Sam nodded. "I'm such a moron." He added sarcastically, kicking Jack's leg when Farren wasn't looking.

Jack shrugged with a face that said " _What?!_ "

"That being said, he's right. Ready up." Farren echoed Sam's advice, springing the group into action.

Jerome pat his fire team partner on the shoulder, trying to reassure him. "Come on man, we got this! It's gonna be a cake walk, we'll go out, tell em' what's what and get the people out and we can start making some real progress out here."

"Yeah, except there are a lot more of them, than there are of us…" Jack's hesitation in his own plan steadily grew the closer they got to the Alsius. The idea may have been masked as Sam's, but it was his own, and he'd have to live it down if it went south.

The doubt was apparently evident on his face. Ruby picked up on it and poked him gently, enough to get his attention.

"He's right, we've got this. It's a good plan as any. A call was made and we'll roll with it." She flashed him with her signature quirky grin, leading Jack to believe that she saw right through his attempt at deceiving the group into thinking such a brash idea was anyone else's but his own.

"Right…" Jack brought his left hand over to the charging handle on his rifle, pulling it to the rear and releasing it before safetying the rifle and loading a fourty millimeter grenade into the M203 below his hand guard.

"Throw on your lasers and mount MNVGs, if we get inside the ship I have a feeling they'll throw out the lights to get the advantage over us." Farren added to the set of orders.

Every soldier reached into their utility pouches, fishing for their lasers and night vision goggles. Jack retrieved the monocular device and fixed it to his helmet mount, leaving it in the upright position for later use. Next he positioned the laser on the tri-rail of his rifle, making sure the batteries were installed and the device left off for power storage.

"What are those?" Ruby asked, seeing the odd devices now present on every soldiers' helmets and weapons.

"Night vision and lasers that you can only see with the goggles, helps you see at night and in the dark. From what I understand, it doesn't create light, it amplifies light on an infrared spectrum for you to see clearly. The laser just helps you shoot bad guys better."

Jack removed his helmet from his head and placed it on top of Ruby's.

"Try it out." Jack lowered the monocular goggle down to Ruby's eye level and switched it on.

It was dark enough within the LAV to get a decent taste of what the man explained.

The huntress' vision was illuminated a deep green, making dark corners and obscure features visible.

"Awesome! Can I keep it?" Ruby yelled, staring at Jack with the goggle.

"Tell you what, we get inside, you can use it. You're probably a better shot anyway."

Ruby continued to toy around with the new equipment while the remainder readied themselves. Farren observed his unorthodox section and began handing out instructions.

"Sam, I want you on the far right with the SAW. Jack, on the left with the Fourty mike mike." Farren broke down his doctrine.

"Roger." Both men sounded off.

"Hunter, you're staying with me. Try anything funny that puts RNJR or my men at risk or try and turn on them, and I will not hesitate to shoot you dead, you get me?"

"I understand."

"Ruby, I'd like you on the side with Jack, if this gets ugly your speed and maneuverability will come in handy for flanking. Same with you, Ren, take the right side. Jaune, Nora, you're our heavy hitters, you'll be in the middle with me and the rest."

"Sounds good to me!" The girl chimed in, having no issue with the placement.

"Farren!" The LAV driver called out. "We're three hundred meters out! I'm gonna stop at seventy five so we can still use the twenty-five millimeter if shit goes haywire! Just so you're trackin' there's a shit load of debris in the field! Could be some good cover if you need it!"

"Roger that!" Farren yelled back. "Alright people, fingers on the triggers. They're rogues and capable of anything so don't let your guard down!"

Soon enough the LAV screeched to a halt and dropped the hatch.

Farren stepped towards the rear of the vehicle and observed the massive open field visible from the rear.

"Okay... _Let's go_."

Ruby returned Jack's helmet to him, throwing the Kevlar bucket onto his head before clipping the chin strap for him.

Immediately after all their preparations were complete, everyone rose and followed the Master Corporal.

The section emerged from the dark confines of the LAV, being suddenly blasted by the midday heat and brightness. The team moved into its extended line, taking position as Farren had directed in the vehicle. Once in place, Farren was the first to start walking towards the position. The ship, already a gargantuan specimen of military technology, was even bigger up close. Jack's view of the valley was completed engulfed by the corpse of a once flying Atlesian warship. Scorch marks and hull breaches were visible all over, despite a visible attempt at repairing some of the damage to the hull integrity...likely for weather protection seeing as there was no way the beast could fly any longer. The engines at the rear were hardly attached to the main body. Their LAV driver had been correct, the debris from the crash had been littered everywhere like a garbage dump, leaving shards of steel erupting out of the earth in all directions.

Immediately, Jack could see riflemen, at least the Atlesian equivalent of riflemen, taking positions along makeshift fortifications surrounding the enormous ship. Upon closer inspection, however, he could notice that among the heavily armoured soldiers were humanoid targets much stiffer in their movements, much taller and much scarier looking. They were machines. _Robots_ armed to the teeth.

"...Told you they had Arnold, Jack..." Jerome muttered from across the line. "How the hell are we supposed to fight Terminators?"

"...Why the hell does everyone keep thinking weaponized robots are a good idea..." Jack whined, still watching the machines ready their weapons and take aim.

"Quiet down and relax, you two. Last thing we need is a Grimm parade strolling through in the middle of this shit." Farren muttered loud enough for the Privates to hear.

The closer the section got, the more on edge they became. Fingers found themselves in their trigger guards, their postures became more defensive - raising their weapons to the low ready position.

Between the two massive walls shielding the wreckage was a single gate, flanked by turrets obviously salvaged from the ship itself. Their size was frightening and would be a danger to armor should a fight break out.

Noticing the gate open, Ren approached and nudged the Master Corporal on the shoulder. "We're getting pretty close, maybe we should start to negotiate before they engage us."

"Yeah, I'm thinkin' the same thing..." Farren nodded.

The soldier cleared his throat upon seeing a handful of Atlesian soldiers emerge from the wreckage built gate. Two autonomous death machines, two human soldiers and an officer, or at least a leader, began to approach the section.

" _HALT! OR YOU WILL BE FIRED UPON!_ " The man, clad in grey armor with green accents shouted.

"Two section, hold." Farren said loud enough for everyone to immediately stop and began scanning their arcs of responsibility while they waited for the next move.

" _THIS IS A RESTRICTED KINGDOM OF ATLAS MILITARY OPERATIONS ZONE, IDENTIFY YOURSELVES IMMEDIATELY!_ " The man screamed at them, reaching for the sidearm attached to his hip.

As if on cue, all of them raised their weapons, beckoning the Canadians to respond.

" _...Military operations zone my ass..._ " Jack muttered to himself after a nervous shiver shot down his spine.

Farren lightly and discretely pressed the push to talk switch on his radio, transmitting to the LAV. "...If these pricks open fire, let em' have it."

"Roger." An immediate response came through.

The LAV's 25mm turret could be heard swiveling to the front.

"Gentlemen, the guns aren't necessary! My name is George Farren! I'm a... _warrior_ , from another village!" Farren sparred them the soldiers from another 'somewhere' story, getting tired of retelling it. "And these are my friends. They are Huntsmen and Huntresses who are investigating the disappearance of villagers in the surrounding area. Think you could help us out? Seen em' anywhere?"

"Huntsmen? Who, those children and the wild animal?!" The Atlesian soldier pointed out RNJR, and Hunter.

Hunted took a step forward, but Farren's hand prevented any progress.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't insult my colleagues. They may look like kids, but they are veterans of the battle of beacon. And my friend here isn't a pushover either, so please, curb your insults, _Soldier._ You're representing your Kingdom while in your uniform."

Each of the Atlesians looked visible disturbed by the mention of Beacon, but then laughed at him when he mentioned their kingdom. A trait Farren immediately picked up on.

"You're on Atlesian military property, you can't tell me what I can, and cannot do, Mr Farren! Huntsmen or not! So why don't you get back in your truck, turn around and go back the way you came."

Jack's heart sank. He had a feeling it was going to go south already. Ruby glanced at him, flashed him a smile and stepped forward, taking a stance next to Farren.

"Look, we're not here for any trouble. We just want to know where those people went. Maybe we can help each other out! We know Atlas wasn't responsible for Beacon, so helping us find those people would really help to ease tensions. Looks like you're stuck here because of your ship, we can help if you help us." Ruby tried her hand at negotiating, proving to be much more mature than she usually let on.

"Sorry, Huntress. We haven't seen anybody. It's just us here and we're fine. So if you'd kindly move along!"

Jack observed each Atlesian carefully. Their armor, dress, deportment and overall conduct was different for each soldiers. There was a visible lack of discipline that screamed "rogue."

" _Lying son of a bitch..._ " Hunter cursed through his teeth, wanting to get at the Atlesian Sergeant.

"You see...I'm not inclined to believe that." Farren sighed, seeing where it was headed.

" _You see_ , I don't give a damn what you believe or not! Leave. Now! Go back to your village and stop encroaching on an Atlas military operation!"

The Atlesians raised their arms again.

"You're not fooling anyone you lying bastard!" Hunter lashed out, knocking an arrow and raising his bow. "You're gonna release those innocent people right now or I put one between your eyes!"

The Atlesians began to yell, all threatening to blow the Faunus away with ease. "I'll kill you, Mutt! Give me a reason!" Other slurs and shouts harassed the section.

"Hunter, god damn it!" Farren pulled him back, keeping him out of harms way.

"Say the word, boss! I'll cut em' down!" Sam dropped to his stomach with the C9, picking out targets.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Ruby stepped between the two escalating groups. "Enough!"

Both groups seemed to relax, slightly lowering their weapons and, if only for a moment, thinking a conflict could be avoided.

"Look...We saw." Ruby pointed to the Atlesian Sergeant. "We watched you for hours. We know they're in there...Just let them go. We're on the same side here!"

The Atlesians all froze, like they were children caught by their parents. In this case, they were criminals who were caught by Soldiers and Huntsmen.

There were a few moments of silence. No doubt the Atlesians were weighing their options.

Seeing only one vehicle and a handful of potential threats, their choice was clear and apparently easy.

" _THEY KNOW! OPEN FIRE!_ "

The Atlesian soldier lifted his sidearm and took an immediate volley of shots at the red-haired huntress, lighting her aura up a brilliant bright red. She recoiled and avoided the incoming fire with her semblance, re-positioning before equipping Crescent Rose to begin the battle.

There was a split second in which soldiers on both sides had to process what was about to happen.

Hunter shook free from Farren and drew his bow the same time that Jack had swapped from safe, to automatic.

" _FIRE!_ " Farren screamed over the first shot. "GET TO COVER! _NOW!_ "

Jack and Hunter had the same target. With intense haste, both men sent arrows and lead hurtling at the Atlesian Sergeant, blasting through his aura and killing the man swiftly. Neither warrior knew who did the heavy lifting and neither cared.

An absolute hellfire of rounds erupted from both sides, forcing the Canadians into cover behind the LAV and among the debris.

The cracks and whips of rounds just narrowly missing each soldier's head harassed their ears from the moment they started. The enemy had the numbers and the highground. They needed to make a move before they became fully pinned down and would need to last long enough for the reinforcements to arrive now that the fight had started.

"GUNNER! TAKE OUT THOSE WALLS!" Farren screamed into his headset. "WE'RE GONNA NEED THEM DOWN AND THOSE TURRETS DOWN FOR THE REINFORCEMENTS! MAKE IT QUICK! EVERYONE ELSE, LET EM' HAVE IT! RAPID RATE!"

Two section and the Huntsmen with ranged weaponry sent back a harassing volley against the fortification, striking armor and auras while obliterating Atlesian mech units.

One of the Atlesian turrets began to pivot, targeting the LAV III and sending a hail of explosive rounds at the vehicle.

"Look out! LOOK OUT!" Nora screamed loud enough for the whole team to hear.

Everyone looked up, seeing the incoming rain of death. Anyone that could run, dove for better cover. Those that couldn't, braced.

The ensuing explosion obliterated their vehicle, sending smoldering shrapnel everything and sending Jack hurtling to the ground with an aggressive thrash.

For Carver, everything went black...

* * *

 _A/N: As always, we thank all of you for the continued support. We have spent a great deal of time these last few months planning out the stories we want to tell and the arcs of each of the characters. To that end, we've invested a great deal of time keeping to Canadian Forces doctrine and RWBY lore. We encourage all to comment and/or PM their thought to us so we may continue to improve. We also encourage readers to browse the Glossary below for terms they are unfamiliar with, as well as read up on our characters; each of which has their own summarized biography. As always, thank you for reading._

* * *

 _ **-*GLOSSARY OF TERMS*-**_

 _ **REGIMENTS: - *NEW ENTRIES***_

 _ **RCR-**_ _The Royal Canadian Regiment; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army._

 _ **PPCLI-**_ _Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; a Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army._

 _ **R22R-**_ _The Royal 22e Régiment, or The Royal 22nd Regiment (Commonly known as: The Van Doos); the third and final Regular Force Infantry Regiment of the Canadian Army. (We haven't mentioned this Regiment as of this chapter, but we thought it was important to put down)._

 _ **JTF2-**_ _Joint Task Force 2, Canadian Tier 1 Special Forces.  
_ _ **CSOR-**_ _Canadian Special Operations Regiment, Canadian Tier 2 Special Forces tasked with a role similar to that of US Army Rangers or Delta Force_ \- ***NEW***

* * *

 _ **STRUCTURE:**_

 _ **BATTALION-**_ _An organization of rifle companies and a support company. (Usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel)_

 _ **COMPANY-**_ _An organization of three rifle platoons and a support platoon. (Usually commanded by a Captain or Major)_

 _ **PLATOON-**_ _An organization of three rifle sections and a heavy weapons detachment. (Usually commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or full Lieutenant)_

 _ **SECTION-**_ _A group of 8-10 Infantry soldiers (Commonly mistaken for "Squad") (Usually commanded by a Sergeant or a senior Master Corporal)_

 _ **FIRE TEAM-**_ _A team of 2 soldiers (Commanded by the most senior member of the fireteam)_

* * *

 _ **COMMAND:**_

 _ **IC-**_ _Broad term for an individual who is the Commander or 'In Command' (Examples: Section IC, Platoon IC, Company IC)_

 _ **2IC-**_ _Broad term for an individual who is 'Second in Command' (Examples: Section 2IC, Platoon 2IC, Company 2IC)_

 _ **CM**_ _\- Commissioned Member. A Canadian Forces member who holds a commission from the Queen or reigning Monarch of England. Typically known as "Officers" (2nd Lieutenant and above)_

 _ **NCM-**_ _Non-Commissioned Member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Private Basic- Chief Warrant Officer)_

 _ **COMPANY QUARTERMASTER-**_ _Company Quartermaster, or CQ, is the individual appointed by the chain of command to be in charge of the company's weaponry maintenance, keeping track of and handing out weaponry._

* * *

 _ **GEAR: - *NEW ENTRIES***_

 _ **CADPAT-**_ _Canadian Disruptive Pattern (The camouflage pattern printed on combat uniforms, body armour, tactical vests, helmets, etc)._

 _ **COMBAT SHIRT-**_ _A combat shirt is different from the traditional military top. It is a top designed to be worn beneath heavy sweat inducing body armour. The torso is made of a soft, moisture-wicking material similar to that of Under Armour to provide comfort. The arms are made of traditional uniform material and still have the CADPAT camouflage printed on them. (For a visual, search "Cadpat Combat Shirt" on google images)._

 _ **TAC VEST-**_ _Short for Tactical Vest. Tactical Vests are load bearing equipment that holds useful supplies for soldiers. Specifically ammunition, grenades and medical supplies._

 _ **IFAK-**_ _Individual First Aid Kit. A personal kit for a soldier usually mounted on their vest._

 _ **FRAG VEST-**_ _The Canadian Forces' Frag Vest is designed to protect against fragmentation, however, has since seen an upgrade featuring slots for ballistic plates to protect the wearer's vital organs from ballistic weapons._

 _ **LEVEL 3+ PLATES-**_ _Ballistic plates designed by AR500 Armor, provides significant protection from firearms (slots into the Frag Vest)._

 _ **MECHANIX M-PACT-**_ _The M-Pact series glove has individual thermoplastic rubber finger guards to protect against blunt force trauma against the hands and fingers as well as a reinforced index finger and thumb pieces to increase grip on tools or weaponry._

 _ **MNVG-**_ _Short for "Monocular Night Vision Goggle", this tool helps soldiers see at night and in dark spaces by amplifying any existing light source in the area. The device is able to mount to a soldier's helmet if they have a mount attached. -_ _ ***NEW***_

 _ **PEQ 14-**_ _A laser which can be mounted towards the front of a weapon that can assist with aiming while using MNVGs as the laser is visible through the NVG spectrum only. - ***NEW***_

* * *

 _ **INFANTRY WEAPONS:**_

 _ **C7A2-**_ _Standard Issue Rifle to the Canadian Armed Forces. Similar platform to the US Armed Forces' M4 and M16 series. 5.56x45mm round._

 _ **C8-**_ _Carbine variant of the C7A2. (Shorter barrel length than the full sized C7A2)._

 _ **C9A2 LMG-**_ _Canadian Forces Light Machine Gun. Extremely similar to the US armed forces' M249_

 _ **C6 GPMG-**_ _The C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is a platoon weapon chambered in 7.62 caliber rounds. There is generally one per platoon, however, it can also be mounted on top of vehicles such as the LAV III_

 _ **BROWNING HI-POWER-**_ _Standard handgun of the Canadian Forces. Typically used by officers and section commanders, however, on deployments, they are issued to common troops. (Yes, it is 'Hi' Power, not 'High' Power oddly enough). Chambered in 9mm._

 _ **M203-**_ _Grenade Launcher capable of being under mounted to the C7A2. 40mm Grenade._

 _ **C-13-**_ _Standard issue fragmentation grenade for use by Canadian Infantry._

 _ **FOURTY MIKE MIKE-**_ _Another name for the M203 grenade launcher. The weapon fires 40mm grenades and the phonetic alphabet title corresponding with M is Mike._

 _ **THE 9-**_ _Slang for the C9A2 LMG_

 _ **CARL GUSTAV-**_ _The Carl Gustav, or Carl G, is an 84mm 'recoilless rifle' capable of anti-armor missions. It is a shoulder mounted rocket launcher._

 _ **M32 MGL-**_ _A revolver style grenade launcher used by the USMC (United States Marine Corps)._

 _ **C14 TIMBERWOLF-**_ _The Timberwolf is the Sniper Rifle used by the Infantry's sniper units. It is a bolt action rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum_

* * *

 _ **NON-INFANTRY WEAPONS:**_

 _ **JDAM-**_ _The Joint Direct Attack Munition is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs" into all-weather "smart" munitions. Canadian variants require laser targeting from troops on the ground._

 _ **MARK-45 NAVAL ARTILLERY-**_ _Features an automatic loader with a capacity of 20 rounds. These can be fired under full automatic control, taking a little over a minute to exhaust those rounds at maximum fire rate. The gun is designed for use against surface warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment to support amphibious operations._

 _ **25MM CANNON-**_ _The primary weapon of the LAV III. Fires heavy 25mm rounds. Can be referred to as "The 25"_

 _ **ARTY-**_ _Short for Artillery._

 _ **AA-**_ _Anti-Air_

* * *

 _ **VEHICLES:**_

 _ **CF-18-**_ _Canadian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet variant._

 _ **MILCOT-**_ _Military Commercial Off the Shelf (Military acquired vehicles)_

 _ **CH-146 GRIFFON-**_ _The Bell CH-146 Griffon is a multi-use utility helicopter of the Huey family, designed by Bell Helicopter Textron as a variant for the Canadian Armed Forces_

 _ **CH-148 Cyclone-**_ _The CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations and is intended to replace the venerable CH-124 Sea King, which has been in operation since 1963. Primarily operated by the RCAF_

 _ **LEOPARD 2A4M CAN MBT-**_ _The Leopard 2A4M Main Battle Tank is the Canadian Forces' tank of the armoured corps. Originally made in Germany, the Leopard 2 has seen many upgrades and changes at the hands of the Canadian military._

 _ **SEA KING-**_ _The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian Naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3 and has been continuously in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Forces since 1963._

 _ **SEA AVENGER-**_ _Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike aircraft._

 _ **LAV-**_ _Light Armoured Vehicle. Standard troop transport and defensive vehicle used by Canadian Infantry_

 _ **RHIB-**_ _Rigged Hulled Inflatable Boat. Fits 8-12 people including a driver and an optional gunner on the bow_

 _ **HMCS ALGONQUIN-**_ _Iroquois class destroyer used by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1973- 2015. Carries the NATO standard DDG classification._

 _ **HMCS BONAVENTURE-**_ _Fourth and final aircraft carrier used by the Royal Canadian Navy._

 _After a service of 14 years, she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1971._

 _ **HMCS ENDEAVOUR-**_ _Research ship that was first through the anomaly. The Polar Class 2 Icebreaker was commissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard, later procured for the expedition._

 _ **HMCS SIR ISAAC BROCK-**_ _Canadian Amphibious Assault Ship, based upon the American Wasp Class under the same classification. Modified from the American design to complement fixed-wing aircraft._

 _ **HMCS VICTORIA-**_ _One of four long-range hunter-killer (Sub-Surface Killer) submarines of the Royal Canadian Navy, the lead ship of her class. She is named after the city of Victoria, British Columbia._

 _ **USS PENNSYLVANIA-**_ _SSBN- 735 serves as one of many American Ohio-class submarines, outfitted with 24x TRIDENT II Nuclear cruise missiles. With a 475 Kiloton yield per missile, 735 as well as her sister ships, serves as an important part of America's Nuclear Triad._

* * *

 _ **POLITICAL:**_

 _ **PM-**_ _Prime Minister of Canada_

 _ **MND-**_ _Minister of National Defence_

 _ **CDS-**_ _Chief of the Defence Staff_

 _ **NATO-**_ _North Atlantic Treaty Organization_

 _ **J.A.G-**_ _Judge Advocate General. The entity responsible for providing lawyers for military cases in summary trials or court marshals._

* * *

 _ **NAVAL TERMINOLOGY:**_

 _ **BOW-**_ _Front of a boat_

 _ **CIC-**_ _Combat Information Center_

 _ **CVN-**_ _Hull Classification symbol. "C" means aircraft carrier, "V" indicates fixed wing (vice rotating wings as on helicopters), and "N" stands for nuclear powered. So CVN means "aircraft carrier, fixed wing, nuclear powered". 001 represents the ship's Identification number to other NATO vessels on sonar._

 _ **CIWS-**_ _(Sea-whiz) or Close-In Weapons System or any variant is standard on all NATO vessels and is capable of firing radar guided 20mm shells from is Gatling gun on a swiveling base. Nicknamed 'R2D2' Because of the dome-like housing._

 _ **C.O-**_ _Commanding Officer of the vessel. Commonly referred to as "Captain" although rarely does a C.O hold such a rank. Unless an officer aboard holds the rank of Captain than the crew is free to call his/her C.O the captain. Typically the "Captain" has the rank of Commander despite being the "Captain" (Senior Officer) of the vessel. (Confusing, right?)_

 _ **EMP-**_ _Electromagnetic Pulse. Short circuits all technology within a given range_

 _ **X.O-**_ _Second in Command of the Vessel. Typically the X.O. holds the rank of Lieutenant-Commander_

 _ **FANTAIL-**_ _Rear gangway system that spans the entire vessel_

 _ **FLANK SPEED-**_ _Flank speed is a nautical term referring to a ship's true maximum speed, but it is not equivalent to the term full speed ahead. Usually, flank speed is reserved for situations in which a ship finds itself in imminent danger._

 _ **HELM/HELMSMAN-**_ _Junior officer in command of steering the vessel while under the command of a senior officer. The helmsman is bound to follow the orders of these officers even if it threatens the safety of the ship and cannot make judgment calls on behalf of officers._

 _ **HMCS-**_ _Her Majesty's Canadian Ship._

 _ **ISLAND TOWER-**_ _The bridge tower on the starboard side of the vessel. Primary entrance and exit for those on the flight deck._

 _ **KNOT-**_ _Unit of speed that represents one nautical mile. Equivalent to 1.8 km or 1.1 miles._

 _ **NAV/ NAVIGATION OFFICER-**_ _Typically the third highest ranking member of the command crew and is in charge of updating the C.O or X.O with relevant navigation data and updates from the ship's CIC, flight control, and listening stations._

 _ **OOW-**_ _Officer of the Watch. Also, acts as a temporary commanding officer if the X.O or C.O is not present on the bridge._

 _ **PORT-**_ _Left-hand side of the ship_

 _ **REVOLUTION LIMITERS & ENGINE SAFETIES- **__Safety protocols to protect the engines from long-term damage due to overworking. Such protocols can be temporarily overridden to increase the speed of a vessel when receiving resistance from the sea or to decrease the distance to a target._

 _ **TAO-**_ _(Tee- aee-oh) Tactical Operations Officer who is in charge of coordinating fire control on a naval vessel._

 _ **QUIET ORDERS-**_ _Systematic orders to reduce the effects of sonar upon a target by reducing the amount of noise and visual identification markers on the surface._

 _ **STARBOARD-**_ _Right-hand side of the ship_

 _ **STERN-**_ _Back of a ship_

 _ **CONN-**_ _The act of controlling a ship's movement and direction._

 _ **1MC-**_ _Ship-wide public address system._

 _ **BRIDGE WING-**_ _A balcony type platform only accessible on the bridge that allows for an unobstructed view of a ships surroundings._

* * *

 _ **BASES:**_

 _ **CFB PETAWAWA-**_ _Headquarters for 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment._

 _ **CFB ESQUIMALT-**_ _Headquarters for the Canadian Pacific Fleet. Located on Victoria Island, British Columbia._

 _ **CFB HALIFAX-**_ _Headquarters for the Canadian Atlantic Fleet. Located in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia._

 _ **UNS BASE GUAM-**_ _United States Naval Station Guam is one of many NATO designated ports for member nations to use and serves as an ANNEX for Navy ordnance_

 _ **CFB EDMONTON-**_ _CFB Edmonton, also referred to as "Club-Ed" is a detention facility for Canadian Forces members run by the Military Police._

* * *

 _ **CHARACTERS: - *NEW ENTRIES***_

 _ **ARMY**_

 _ **PRIVATE JACK CARVER-**_ _A relatively new member to 1RCR, Jack Carver is a seventeen-year-old Toronto born soldier in the Canadian Army's Infantry Corps. Jack joined the army to emulate his father, Desmond, and serve his country. The young soldier is fairly awkward, credited to his age. He can be sarcastic and quippy, but most believe this to be in defence of his nervousness and awkwardness. Though young and relatively inexperienced prior to the Remnant Incident, Jack Carver has the potential to be a hyper-lethal soldier as he is reported to have a sense of purpose that is almost frightening_

 _ **PRIVATE JEROME LEWIS-**_ _Close friend and fireteam partner to Jack Carver, Jerome Lewis, a nineteen-year-old Infantry soldier, joined the military and was placed on the same BMQ and Infantry course as Jack, and was posted to 1RCR with him, forging a close bond between the soldiers over their years of training together. Lewis is often described as the funny man of the group, often earning the nickname "Joker" among peers and is almost always trying to crack a joke to lighten the situation._

 _ **CORPORAL SAM OWENS-**_ _A generally moody, yet talented C9 machine gunner, Corporal Owens is the second in command of 2-Section to test his capabilities for a primary leadership course to obtain the rank of master corporal. For the most part, Corporal Owens cares little about the rank, and more about the well being of his men, even if it's hard to notice under his brash demeanor._

 _ **CORPORAL CODY ROSS-**_ _The Company medic for Bravo Company, Cody Ross is a talented medical expert, having spent years as an EMT before enlisting in the Canadian Army to treat battlefield wounds._

 _ **CORPORAL JOSEPH AIDEN-**_ _Joseph Aiden is a company asset Sniper for Bravo Company, 1RCR assigned to a sniper team led by Warrant Officer Gage. Aiden is reported as being relatively laid back and calm that lines up with most snipers in the Canadian Forces._

 _ **MASTER CORPORAL GEORGE FARREN-**_ _1RCR veteran soldier George Farren is one of the experienced soldiers in the battalion, having several tours in Afghanistan including the infamous Operation Medusa in which Farren engaged and killed several enemy combatants. He is now the commander of 2-Section within 1st Platoon to test his leadership capabilities and to prepare him for the rank of Sergeant. He knows how to kill, now the chain of command tests if he can lead._

 **WARRANT OFFICER MICHAEL GAGE-** Warrant Officer Gage, or simply; Warrant Gage is the acting Sniper/Recce Det Commander for Bravo Company, and was the man in charge of the recce mission to mistral that failed when the White Fang shot down their CH-146 shortly after take off. With a diminished team, Gage still operates as a Recce element for the Company when needed, and an Infantry front line Warrant when necessary. - ***NEW***

 _ **LIEUTENANT PAUL BRYSON-**_ _Paul Bryson initially joined the military as a non-commissioned member and was trained by Master Corporal Farren on his Infantry course. Sometime after, the man commissioned, using his university degree to become an Officer and now leads 1st Platoon within Bravo Company of 1RCR._

 _ **MAJOR GAVIN DAWSON-** Major Dawson is the Company Commander of Bravo Company of 1RCR, encompassing 1st (Lt. Bryson), 2nd (Formerly Lt. Bishop) and 3rd Platoons as well as their respective weapons detachments. - ***NEW***_

 _ **MAJOR RYAN CLARKE-** Major Clarke is the company commander of Alpha Company of 1RCR - commonly reffered to as "Duke's Company" due to its lineage and connection with the Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness Prince Phillip. - ***NEW***_

 _ **LIEUTENANT COLONEL DARREN REID-**_ _Darren Reid is the Commanding Officer of the entire 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment after spending several years as a lower ranked officer in the Battalion. An experienced soldier and leader._

* * *

 _ **NAVY**_

 _ **COMMANDER WILLIAM DIETZ-**_ _Commanding Officer of the Isaac Brock, Captain William Dietz is a seasoned sailor in the Royal Canadian Navy. Dietz first tour of duty was on Canada's last aircraft carrier, HMCS Bonaventure and slowly climbed the ranks until his first command during the first Gulf War in 1991. After his many commands and long career, Dietz has become old guard in the Navy. He heavily follows protocol, even when the situation may not call for it. This made him the prime candidate for command of the Navy's newest flagship. The Isaac Brock has had many successful deployments under Dietz, but Remnant will test even his resolve._

 _ **LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MICHAEL KENDALL-**_ _Serving as Executive Officer aboard the Brock, Lieutenant- Commander Michael "Mike" Kendall is a fresh face in the Royal Canadian Navy. For many years he served as a pilot in the Air Force before changing his trade to the Navy. Unlike many officers, Kendall takes a more hands-on approach to leadership. He is considered the buffer between the higher officers and non-commissioned members aboard the ship. This alternate approach to command means he sometimes bends the rules to get results, putting him at odds with Dietz. Like any good soldier Kendall remains loyal to a fault, and despite their differences, Dietz and Kendall run one of the most highly rated crews in the Navy._

 _ **LIEUTENANT ASHLEY BECKETT-**_ _Lieutenant Ashley Beckett is one of the many officers who works behind the scenes to keep the ship running smoothly. Her position as Officer of the Watch leaves her in command whenever Dietz or Kendall are not manning the bridge and relays all commands aboard the ship. Unlike her XO, Beckett's family is career Navy, meaning her only real choice was between serving on a surface vessel or submarine. Like many of the lower officers, she still has much to learn from those appointed above her_

 _ **CHIEF ENGINEER RICHARD SCOTT-**_ _Without the engineering prowess of Chief Engineer Richard Scott, the HMCS Sir Isaac Brock would simply be a 41,000 tonne paperweight. A tedious education through the Royal Military College, Fleet school and a masters in marine engineering made him a prime candidate for the Brock's senior command. Nicknamed after the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise, Scotty is a workaholic who mainly keeps to the lower decks, though he'll tell you "It's not work if you love it." Scotty marshals the resources of tens of highly trained engineers and oversees one of the most complex power plants at sea. There simply is no one more qualified than him, or crazy enough._

* * *

 _ **AIRFORCE**_

 _ **LIEUTENANT OLIVIA LANGER-**_ _Taking after her mother, Langer joined the airforce the moment she could with the intent of flying jets. After some time flying CF-18's and even instructing, Langer wanted to try something new and transferred to the tactical helicopter squadrons that fly the CH-146._

* * *

 _ **REMNANT**_

 _ **RUBY ROSE-**_ _The daughter of legendary team STRQ members Tai-Yang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, Ruby sought the warrior's life from a young age after hearing stories of grandeur and the importance of heroes in Remnant's history. After attending Signal, a precursor combat school, and constructing her Scythe Sniper Rifle; Crescent Rose, Ruby was pushed up two years to attend Beacon Academy after encountering Professor Ozpin. She was the leader of team RWBY. Since the fall of Beacon after the White Fang and Grimm assaulted the facility, Ruby now aims for Haven to track down those responsible, before they can enact the same terror on Haven Academy._

 _ **NORA VALKYRIE-**_ _Eccentric warrior and faithful companion to Ren, Nora Valkyrie is a heavy hitting huntress in training who attended Beacon academy as a part of team JNPR. After the fall of Beacon, Nora joined the remainder of her team and Ruby Rose in her mission to travel to Haven academy and bring those responsible for the fall of beacon to justice._

 _ **JAUNE ARC-**_ _With a family legacy of heroes, Jaune sought the life of heroics from a young age and even forged documents to attend beacon academy, though severely lacking in skill. With the aid of comrade Pyrrha Nikos, the leader of team JNPR developed leadership and combat skills during his tenure. After the death of Pyrrha, Jaune joined RNJR in a bid to locate those responsible._

 _ **LIE REN-**_ _The calm and collected warrior Lie Ren has spent a better part of his life with Nora Valkyrie after his village was destroyed by a powerful creature of Grimm. Together they made their way to Beacon in order to become a Huntsman and Huntress_

 _ **HUNTER LOCKWOOD-**_ _Hunter is a man stricken with tragedy, but pushed by duty. Much like Jack his hate for the White Fang is his guiding principle. He will do whatever it takes to see their movement burn. Once a member of a large and productive community, everything Hunter knew was swept out from under him. Hunter is a stalker, he lurks in the shadows and his coyote-like traits make him an excellent huntsman. Now, he works with the strangers from a mysterious land to enact revenge on those who took everything from him. But they won't always see eye to eye._

* * *

 _ **HOSTILES**_

 _ **LIEUTENANT FENRIR VILKAS-**_ _A ruthless and savage White Fang warrior, not much is known about the past of Fenrir, other than that his grandparents were great war veterans and his parents were White Fang members killed in a riot. The warrior shows no mercy against human threats and now directs his rage at the strangers, particularly one individual who managed to deplete his aura._

 _ **CAPTAIN ACCALIA VILKAS-**_ _The older sister of Fenrir, Accalia is a lethal warrior, trained to fight and kill from a young age. However, unlike her brasher younger brother, Accalia is a brilliant tactician who opts to use her mind rather than her weapons but will occasionally join in the fray to keep her skills sharp._

 _ **COMMANDER ADAM TAURUS-** Legendary/Infamous Faunus revolutionary Adam Taurus is the Commander of the White Fang cell operating in Vale, answering only to Sienna Khan herself, and even then, usually operates on his own terms while in seclusion from the other cells. It was under Taurus' leadership that the Cell aided Cinder Fall and her Chaos Syndicate in besieging Beacon and the surrounding city to assassinate Professor Ozpin and the Former Spring Maiden. - ***NEW***_

* * *

 _ **NON-COMBATANTS**_

 _ **DOCTOR BRIAN GROVE-**_ _Doctor Grove was a scientist aboard the HMCS Endeavour upon the first discovery of the Remnant Anomaly. He and members of his team were sent beyond the threshold to study what lied beyond. Upon their arrival, they were attacked by the Grimm and Grove was the sole survivor and was rescued weeks later by Private Carver and Master Corporal Farren._

 _ **ALEX CARVER-**_ _Younger brother to Private Jack Carver, Alex was born when the Carver family was still living on a military base. By the time Alex was old enough to go to school, he developed cancer in his body and his father retired from the Military as a result, and Jack began his aspirations to serve. To emulate his father and his older brother, Alex dreams of becoming a soldier just like his brother._

 _ **MAJOR (RETIRED) DESMOND CARVER-**_ _The father of Private Jack Carver, Desmond Carver was a soldier in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry for decades, obtaining legendary status for his many tours and heroics. Much of the man's service record is blacklisted, placing a shroud of confusion around the soldier, all that is known is that he was a Jump Qualified combat soldier for a long time before becoming a Major._

 _ **CATHERINE CARVER-**_ _Spouse of legendary soldier Desmond Carver and Mother of aspiring legend Jack Carver, Catherine is used to the military lifestyle after moving between posts for years before the birth of the couples first son, Jack._

 _ **PRIVATE (KIA) DAVID FARREN-**_ _Private Farren was the son of Master Corporal George Farren and was killed in Afghanistan during Operation Medusa. The young soldier was in a different company than his father to avoid conflict of interest but was killed nonetheless by Taliban RPG fire._

* * *

 _ **MISC:**_

 _ **DANGER CLOSE-**_ _A warning to ground forces that an attack from artillery or air units may be dangerously close to their position. Within 500m of the unit in question._

 _ **BMQ-**_ _Basic Military Qualification that ALL Canadian Forces members (Regardless of trade they chose) must go through prior to trade training (An Infantry soldier must do BMQ before going on his/her Infantry course)_

 _ **OPERATION OVERLORD-**_ _The Allied assault on Normandy on June 6th, 1944 during the Second World War. Regarded as the largest amphibious assault in human history._

 _ **AAR-**_ _After Action Report_

 _ **CCP-**_ _Casualty Collection Point_

 _ **CCT-**_ _The_ _Cross Continental Transmit System is used for near instantaneous communications between all the major kingdoms._

 _ **FOB-**_ _Forward Operating Base_

 _ **CONCERTINA WIRE-**_ _Coils of barbed wire_

 _ **ACK-**_ _Acknowledged_

 _ **ROG-**_ _Roger_

 _ **TRIAGE-**_ _Triage is the process of determining the priority of patient treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately._

 _ **VSA-**_ _Vital Signs Absent. Reported when an individual has no pulse._

 _ **HE-**_ _High Explosive round capable of intense damage._

 _ **IMP-**_ _Individual Meal Pack - A ration pack containing heatable food, snacks, and beverages for a single soldier_

 _ **REVEILLE-**_ _A signal to arise. Often meaning the wake-up call or signal to get up._

 _ **SOP-**_ _Short for Standard Operating Procedure. A predetermined method of dealing with specific scenarios._

 _ **POG-**_ _Short for Personnel/Persons Other than Grunt, a term generally used in a demeaning manner for members who are not in the Infantry._

 ** _TRACKING-_** _Slang for "Acknowledged" or "Understood". Just a way of confirming one's understanding._


End file.
